


Butterfly Effect

by HeartfeltAdvantages



Category: Life Is Strange, Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Alternate Universe, Attempted Suicide, Cutting, Dark Humor, Drug Abuse, Everybody's 18 or up, Except for Ludo, He's a smol bunny, Marco is Max, Minor characters included, Multi, Profanity, Sexual Abuse, Suicide, Tom is Nathan, Unhealthy Relationships, cross-over, from enemies to friends to lovers, implied rape, kidnappings, more characters will be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12055254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartfeltAdvantages/pseuds/HeartfeltAdvantages
Summary: An alternate universe where Marco have time powers, Star's missing and Tom is an asshole.





	1. Episode One: Chrysalis

The first time it happened, you chocked it up to being nothing more than a nightmare.

It started off pretty normal too: You only had three weeks left of school and everyone was getting ready for the End of the World party that was going to be hosted by the Vortex Club, which is just a club that's full of judgemental pricks. Star wanted to go so bad it wasn't funny, and you couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with her ex-boyfriend telling her that it had candy.

Tom was the leader of the Vortex Club and, during a point where you haven't met her yet, had dated Star for about a year before she ended the relationship. Her explanation was that he was too clingy and didn't know how to had fun, and you were reminded that her definition of fun was a lot different than hers. For her, 'Fun' meant doing dangerous stunts that were borderline illegal and you constantly had to keep her in line before she up and get herself killed.

It also didn't help that she had Schizophrenia, too.

You found this little tidbit when you first met her during the beginning of classes. Due to the high number of students, there was no room for some and so they were forced to stay either in the boy's or girl's dorm, which you considered to be kind of a dick move.

Star Butterfly, a tall teen with abnormally long golden-blonde hair and blazing blue eyes, introduced herself as a "Magical princess from outer space that was sent to Earth to practice better control over her magic". At first, you thought that she was only kidding and went along with it just for the hell of it, but it became pretty obvious that she was far from joking around. Multiple times she'd tried to use a "Narwall Blast" on innocent bystanders so even going so far as to attack them physically, and multiple times you had to stop her from doing serious harm to them.

After pressing her for some answers, she finally told you that she had Schizophrenia since she was fourteen and would sometimes avoid taking her medications just to escape to her own little fantasy world when life would become too complicated for her to handle. Then she went on to tell you what she would see and even showed you some of her paintings about her home planet and the adventures she would go on every day and, you had to admit, it sounded awesome.

Star had a natural talent for painting and her artworks were just so colorful and full of life that you almost wished that it was real. While her area was with paint, yours was with photography and you had to admit that you take some damn good pictures, if you do say so yourself. Sometimes when she wasn't living on Mewni she was helping you with photo ops or making it look just right.

Ever since then, you two have been an unstoppable duo, and some would even go so far as to say that you were dating. Hell, they even came up with a ship name for you (She found it cute while you just thought that it was annoying that they would go so far as to do that).

Then she started to act stranger than usual.

She became more sober than usual and was always fidgeting like she was going to pop. Sometimes she would know what was going to happen before you can, and while you can just call that normal since she would tell you about these little future dreams- you think that just about everyone had that-, now it was just freaky. Her paintings took on a much darker turn: instead of the monsters and dimensions you were used to, now it was a storm that looked downright terrifying.

It left a path of destruction and you were even able to identify some of the locations in town; people would be cowering in fear while others would simply try to run for their lives as buildings crumbled around them like sand. Then there were some where it showed an area you were unfamiliar with a girl standing on a cliff and staring at a swirling cyclone of death that was hell-bent on destroying the town.

When you asked her about the sudden shift, she only said that she was running out of time.

Several days passed before something happened that absolutely blew your mind. Ludo, a small teen with his hair dyed a sickly green color and eyes that almost looked yellow, jumped off the school building in front of several hundred teens that could only watch in horror. Star was the only one who was up on the roof with him and you swear her scream will haunt you for the rest of your life.

The whole school went into mourning after that, even the assholes that bullied him (Hypocrites). Those who were close to him had no idea what led him to suicide while said assholes claimed that he was doing it for attention. Star looked like she was at death's door with how pale she was, dark circles lining around her eyes and her hair an unorganized mess.

Then the snow came.

You were out taking some pictures to enter in the Everyday Heros competition when it happened, and you remembered looking up at the sky in confusion and shock. It only lasted an evening but it was enough to set everyone on edge. When you told Star she somehow managed to turn paler and immediately went to work with whatever she was doing and would often disappear for days on end with a girl that likes to bother you, although you can't remember ever meeting her formally (You dimly recalled hearing Star said her name- It's Janna).

When the eclipse came you finally demanded her for answers but she only shoved you away. You ended up having the worst fight in your life with her and spent the remainder of the night burrowed under your sheets and trying to stop the tears that never seemed to end. The next day you entered into a fight with Tom and abscond after the principal had a chat with you.

After the End of the World party, the town was met with the biggest storm in history and you somehow found yourself in the Two-Whale Dinner with several other people and your aunt. The rain hit against the ceiling so hard you were certain that it was going to tear a hole into it as the wind howled in your ears, debris flying about and screams surrounding you. The last thing you remembered was holding on to your aunt and praying to God that your parents were alright when something huge crashed into the diner and everything went black.

When you woke up it was with a gasp as you tumbled out of bed to the sounds of birds chirping and students getting ready for class. Star was back to her happy-go-lucky attitude and you were certain that it was just a nightmare but couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that lurked in the back of your head.

Throughout the first week, the sense of Deja Vu was mild, but as it progressed it became stronger until it was screaming in your ears. Ludo died, the snow fell and the eclipse came, the fight with Star happened again and the storm that destroyed the town came back once more. It happened all over again and you remembered holding on to your aunt before your vision was cut off abruptly.

Then it happened again.

And again.

_And again._

During the third time, you were absolutely desperate for a change. You skipped school. You failed tests. You tried talking Ludo out of suicide. You tried getting answers from Star. You beat the absolute _shit_ out of Tom. Everything remained the same. The storm happened for the third time in a row and you felt like you were going nuts.

When you woke up to relieve the same day for the fourth time in a row, you were in hysterics and Star was trying to calm you down. Every time the weeks would reset no one would remember anything except for him and it was driving you insane. You tried telling someone what was going on but they just didn't listen to you and thought that you were crazy. The fifth time it happened you noticed that something was off immediately.

Star wasn't with you.

Even if it was something new, it had you concerned for her where about. Forcing yourself to get out of bed, you walked towards your shared closet and rifled through your clothes. Your hands instantly found your favorite red hoodie before you paused and pursed your lips together. Picking a dark gray shirt and some a jeans that had some holes in it, you went outside your room and towards the boy's shower room.

The bathroom wasn't as heavily crowded as it used to be so you got in and out fairly quickly. Tying the hoodie around your hips and ruffling your hair to its perfect fluffy perfection, you look through the throngs of kids before finding the person you were looking for.

"Hey Buff Frog!"

The person in question turned around and gave you a wide grin as he opened his arms for a quick embrace, which you didn't hesitate in giving him. "Marco! How are you?" He asked with a heavy Russian accent, and you gave him a tired smile as you rubbed the back of your neck. You told him that you were doing fine- you actually wanted to tell him how you were losing your mind with each passing day but refrain from doing so- and asked about Star.

His face turned into one of puzzlement as he rubbed his chin in thought before shrugging. "I'm afraid not, Karate Boy. Try asking Tom- maybe he might have some answers." You made a face at the idea and shook your head. "Nah, fuck that guy. I still have no idea what Star saw in him." Another shrug before Buff Frog told you that he had to go get something from his room, and you suddenly remembered Ludo and stopped him.

"Hey, do me a favor? Check on Ludo for me- I don't think he's doing so well."

Buff Frog made a face of confusion but accepted your request, and you gave him a parting wave before returning to your quest. Asking everybody in the dorm and yielding no results, you tried your luck at the school itself. Passing by the boy's bathroom, you paused in front of it before going in to take a quick break. When you were done with your business, you went to the sink to wash your hands and paused when you saw something moved out of the corner of your eye.

A butterfly that had the most beautiful shade of blue fluttered by you and went to the end of the room and you couldn't pass up the opportunity. Taking out your phone and switching to camera mode, you knelt down slowly so as to not startle it and took the picture as the butterfly flapped its wings slowly from the bucket it was resting on. You made a move to get up but paused when the door opened and quick angry footsteps echoed in the once empty room.

You dared to take a peek and stuck out your tongue when you saw that it was Tom as he paced back and forth. You almost considered confronting him about Star when he started to talk, and you held back to listen.

"This is wrong, everything is wrong! It wasn't supposed to happen like this, so where did that stupid bitch go?!"

Okay, now you _know_ he had something to do with Star being missing. You stopped when someone you didn't know barged into the room and cleared his throat, and Tom stopped and looked at him with fear. The stranger didn't said anything but slammed the angry teen against the sink and ignored the gasp of pain, pressing a gun against his throat as he glared down at him. He was clearly taller than him by a considerable amount and even you couldn't help but feel threatened by him.

Tom held up his hands as a defense mechanism and tried to stall for time, telling him that "It was just a mistake" and "He would get the money for him soon" but he wasn't having none of it. You jumped when the gun went off and felt your ears ring as his body fell limply to the ground, blood staining his shirt rapidly and you felt like you were frozen.

" _No!_ "

You came out of your hiding spot and held up your hand uselessly when something happened that left you feeling numb and shock. Time rewind around you and you watched as Tom's body stood up on its own and moved in reverse until it was back against the sink. Wasting no time, you looked for something to stop the immediate outcome and found a fire alarm near the mop. Smashing the glass with your hand and hissing out when the shards dug into your skin, you brought down the handle and covered your ears as the alarm blared throughout the school.

The stranger looked around in confusion but Tom took this as a way to escape and pushed him away from him. Catching him off guard, he fell to the ground as the gun clattered out of his hand and the red head took it in a heartbeat, storing it away in his coat before running off. Shaking his head in obvious anger, the stranger got to his feet and stormed out of the room as you heaved a sigh of relief and slid to the dirty floor.

What the fuck just _happened_ _?_

You stared at your hands before getting up to your feet and exiting the bathroom, blending in perfectly with the throngs of students that made their way out of the building and into the campus.


	2. Marco: Investigate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long pause, but I was busy with the other story and school and bleh. Updates might become regular or something. Enjoy.

It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing; flowers are blooming. If it wasn't for the fact that you relived this day so many times and that there was a gigantic ass storm that was going to tear the town apart, you would have actually found it to be pretty. Instead, you scowl at the sun like it was your enemy and made your way through confused students to find the person you were looking for.

He wasn't that hard to find. If the two of you were separated by a thick crowd, you only had to say something bad about Star or Tom himself and he would find you in a heartbeat. In fact, the reason you found him so easily was that his shouting could be heard from a mile away; Tom had the temper of a volcano and anyone who doesn't know that is an idiot.

The person in question was talking up a storm with Witney- Who's a grade A bitch by nature- and she looked like she wanted to put a gun to her head. Debating on whether you should save her from the torture or save her. Logic won the fight and you try to gain his attention as subtly as possible without ending up in a fight.

It didn't work.

" _What?!_ "

You held up your hands in defense and tried to look as calm as possible, which was hard to pull off considering that you were talking to a demon (You had to admit, Star's version of people were spot on).

"Relax Tom! It's only me." The anger subsided slightly, which was an overall win for you. He gestured for Witney to leave- which she does with a grateful expression and probably want to bitch about it to someone else- and folded his arms across his chest, an impatience look drawn on his features but you could have sworn that there was something else there. Relief, maybe? "What do you want, dipshit?"

Frowning at the nickname, you mimic his stance and told him that you were looking for Star and if he had seen her. He shook his head, all traces of anger disappearing from his face at the name of his former girlfriend. It wasn't a secret that he still had feelings for the blonde, and sometimes he would go to great lengths at trying to get back together. "....You haven't seen her either?"

Something about the way he said it made you feel slightly sorry for the guy and you got rid of any annoyances that were in your voice.

"If I did, then I wouldn't be talking to you, would I?" Alright, some of them stayed, and you instantly knew you fucked up when the rage returned tenfold. Before he exploded and possibly try to kill you (Lord knows he'd done it to you before), you quickly rewound a couple of seconds and was back to him asking the question.

It was weird seeing him look so sad when just a few moments he was hell-bent on kicking you to the ground. Sure, the time powers were cool as fuck, but you know you shouldn't be using it just to avoid a beat-down. You shrugged your shoulders and rubbed the back of your neck, trying to look as sympathetic as possible without coming off as pitying him. Lord knows what would happen if that was the case.

"She wasn't in our room this morning and she won't answer my calls."

Tom tilted his head to the side. "Maybe she just went off on another one of her adventures to Mewni or fighting evil."

Multiple times in the past you would find Star fighting "monsters" and protecting both Mewni and Earth on her own, so you've asked her to leave you should that happen. In many occurrences, she would place a sticky note on top of your face, since in her opinion," It's the only spot I know that you would find it!" You shook your head and couldn't stop the worried frown that went across your face. "No, she would have told me about it. I'm worried about her."

The redhead shrugged his shoulders and after offering his own ideas that were soon rejected, he bid you farewell. You stared at the male for a few seconds longer before turning around to head back to your dorm. Something walked into your chest and you let out a surprised gasp and took a step back, rubbing the area where you've been hit as you automatically apologized to the person.

"Just watch where you're going, Marco."

Ludo fixed you an annoyed glare and you couldn't help but blink in surprise once more. You weren't expecting to see him so early in this timeline, and the teen looked the same (Except this time he wasn't jumping off a roof...hopefully).

His curly hair was still the same sickly-green like you remembered, and because the morning was overcast, his yellow eyes almost looked like they were glowing. The black sweater with a familiar symbol on it- You never knew he was a fan of Supernatural too- was too large for him and looked more like a dress on his tiny form, covering a good majority of the washed-out jeans he had on. He looked a lot better than he did before, and you hoped that it would stay that way.

You questioned him about the whereabouts of Star, and he tilted his head to the side. "Star's.....missing?" Nodding your head, you watched as his face morphed into one of annoyance as he started to jump up and down in excitement. "I knew it! She ditched our morning fight!" Confusion clouded your mind for a moment before you remembered that Ludo was just as invested into Mewni than Star.

You gave him a wary smile and told him that you doubt it, but he just shook his head and took off, probably to find the blonde. Before he went, he paused and looked at the sky in mild confusion and something else. "There's a storm coming; I can feel it in the air." You didn't even realize that you had paled. How in the _fuck_ did Ludo of all people know about the storm?!

Opening your mouth to ask him that very same question, you blinked when the only thing you saw was a blank spot where the teen once was and saw Ludo walking away to talk to Buff Frog. Shaking your head and waving it off as nothing more than tiredness, you wandered around the campus for the time being and asked about the whereabouts of Star, to which the answer remained the same.

By the time the principal informed the school that there was no threat on the campus (Aside from the alarmingly high amount of used condoms lying about in the girl's and boy's bathroom), everyone was sent back to their class and that was how you found yourself on the brink of death during your photography class.

Toffee (His real name is Mr. Lizard but the nickname spread like wildfire) was explaining something that you could care less as the others did their own little things. You found yourself doodling in your notebook and let out a sigh when your phone notifies you of an incoming message. Making sure that you weren't going to get caught, you bowed your head like you were concentrating and read the message.

_[Tom- 8:45 AM]_

_Did u find out anything about Star?_

_[You- 8:45 AM]  
_

_No luck. I must have asked half the school and the answer remained the same._

_[You- 8:46 AM]_

_How the hell did you find out my number anyway?_

_[Tom- 8:46 AM]_

_None of your fucking business, Diaz._

_[Tom had left the conversation]  
_

Rolling your eyes at the response, you put your phone away and was about to continue doodling when you paused. If there was one thing you would admit, it's that Star was a fantastic drawer, no question about it. Sure, you were adequate at the stuff, but you wouldn't call yourself a master. But when you studied your drawings, you were almost certain that the blonde must have been helping you.

The butterfly from before was sitting in the top left corner of your notebook while a dark swirl of clouds moved towards it. But what amazed you the most was the deer. 

It was surrounded by tall looming trees and flowers that were in full bloom as it stared at you with beautiful black eyes that almost seemed to shine. Its ears were perked up as it listened to something off in the distance and you were almost certain that it was going to leap off the page. Breathing out in awe, you ran a hand over the paper delicately.

"Mr. Diaz, if you would like to continue your drawings, I suggest you take it to Mrs. Green's class."

You jumped and made a hurried attempt to hide the art but it was too late. Cheeks burning with embarrassment, you hid your face in your hands as the class snickered and laughed at your fortune. Toffee stalked your chair as he walked to the center of the classroom and gave you a smirk. "Since you were paying attention, can you please tell the class who made the first ever self-portrait?"

Your mind went blank as you stared at him like a deer caught in headlights, and his smirk grew. "Just as I thought. Would anybody else care to answer my question?" Well isn't this just grand? Trying to bury yourself deeper into your chair and praying for the earth to swallow you whole, you narrowed your eyes as Whitney answered the question with a smug look on her face as she sent you a smile and a wave. This _bitch_.

The bell rung for dismissal as Toffee informed the class to read their textbooks for an upcoming quiz as you packed your bag to get out of the classroom as fast as possible. 

"Mr. Diaz, a word if you may?"

Shit.

Slowing down, you turned around as Toffee beckoned you to his desk, which you did so with great reluctance. While you _could_ have reset to avoid the embarrassment you had completely forgotten about it and figured that it wouldn't do much good now. He gave you a look that was almost disappointing, and the feeling to disappear grew.

"Now as you know, you are one of my top students in this class, so I was surprised by what you were doing during the lesson. Using your phone _and_ drawing?"

You bit your bottom lip as you turned to the ground in shame. "I'm sorry sir. I promised it won't happened again." His expression softens by just a fraction as he gave you a faint smile. "I'm willing to let this behavior slide for now, but just realize that just because the school year will be over for you doesn't mean you should start slacking off." Nodding your head in understanding, you couldn't help but fidget under his stare.

He asked if you were still entering in the Everyday Heroes competition, and when you nodded in response, his smile grew and he sent you off without another word. You bid him farewell and, when you stepped out of the classroom, gave a sigh of relief before shaking your head and started to walk.

Thinking that you needed some time to cool off and think, you headed to your dorm and greeted several of your friends along the way. Your mind was clouded and you wanted to be in a comfortable area before the madness can start. Letting out a sigh under your breath, you unlocked the door to your shared bedroom and paused. It felt... _wrong_ being here without Star; like it was missing something.

A frown graced your face as you shrugged your bag off your shoulder and wandered to your bed when a severe pain pounded in your skull. Holding your head and letting out a cry of pain, you collapsed on the bed as the world flickered in front of you from the bedroom to a location you have never been. When you opened your eyes, you took a step back in shock.

The wind howled around you and whipped your hair across your face as rain poured down like bullets. Trees trembled violently as debris flew past you so fast you couldn't even make it out. Raising your hand to shield your eyes from the pelting rain you gazed at the steps that were slick with water.

_I have to get out of this rain._

Forcing yourself to move, you shuddered in the cold as the sound of wood cracking filled your ears. You barely made it halfway when a boulder rolled towards you, and instinct made you raise your hand as time reversed. Moving out of harm's way, you continued your trek for shelter and found yourself standing near a lighthouse that served as a haven for the moment and held a lone bench near the cliff. Lowering your hand, you gaped when you saw the person standing in front of the bench.

Blonde hair. A wand that served no other purpose than for show. It was her.

"Star!"

She turned to face you in shock; her blue eyes wide and filled with fear and confusion.

"Marco?! What the hell are you doing here?"

Gasping for air from your sprint to meet her, you stared at her with open confusion as you gestured to the storm. "What am _I_ doing here?! Star, where the fuck have you been?" You have never gotten the response because she suddenly screamed and tackled you to the ground as something huge collided with the lighthouse, and your vision turned white.

Opening your eyes, you blinked when you found yourself back in the dorm like nothing had even happened. Placing a hand against your beating heart, beads of sweat trickled down your face as you panted for air. You had a feeling that everything was connected to Star, and now it was stronger than ever. But the question that was on your mind was _how?_

Jumping off the bed and experienced a quick head rush, you went to your desk and took out an empty notebook and a pen.

If you were going to do this, you were going to do this right.

Multiple hours passed. Every answer you wrote was instantly scratched out and you now had your head in your hands to fight off a migraine. It was nearly six when you looked at your phone, and you figured that you might as well try to walk off this migraine before it kills you. Retrieving the red hoodie off the bed and wrapping it around your waist once more, you took out some money in case you wanted to buy something and stepped outside once more.

Plugging in your earbuds and picking a song, you tapped your finger to the beat as you walked through the parking lot when you were suddenly slammed into the ground. The wind was knocked out of your lungs as you let out a wheeze which quickly morphed into a cough when something began pressing down on your chest. The man from before glared down at you and opened his mouth to say something when he was knocked to the side and Tom stood above you.

"Follow me!" Without giving you enough time to issued out a response, he grabbed your arm and pulled you to your feet before shoving you into his truck and started the engine. Backing out of the parking lot and tearing through the street, you stuck out the window to see him getting up and gesturing rudely towards you. Pulling your head back in the car, you held your stomach as a wave of nausea rolled off you and begged Tom to slow down and, to your surprise, he actually listened. Huffing out a sigh, he leaned an elbow out the window and glanced at you from the side.

Your name is Marco Diaz, and you have never felt so awkward and scared in your life.


	3. Tom: Investigate

You've been aware of the timelines for a while now. The first time it happened you honestly believed that it was because of the weed you had and avoided it for a good week, but then it happened again and again and you knew that something was off. There were some events that managed to come with you into the new timeline and it honestly freaked you out (Like the time when Marco went batshit crazy and beat you to a pulp. When the weeks reset your entire body was completely sore for an entire day).

But this one was different, that much was clear. You've tried calling Star for your usual good morning chat, but she didn't pick up, and that when you knew that this timeline was fucked up. In every alternate universe, Star would _always_ answer your calls and would go along with your conversation before making up an excuse and leave you alone in your room with the thoughts that just won't die. That would always remain constant, but this time the call just went to voice-mail and you found yourself staring at the phone and debating whether you should try again or throw it against the wall.

You stayed under the cover for as long as you can to try and put off the day before you were forced to admit defeat and sat up. Taking off your shirt that you've slept in and grabbing a fairly fresh one, you grabbed old jeans and headed to the bathroom to get rid of the sweat that came from the nightmare. It was becoming something that you've adapted to rather quickly, although you had no idea what the dreams were since it would come in flashes. The most you were able to remember was rain. While you _are_ aware of the timelines, you honestly have no idea what they're about and you would often recall bits and pieces of it as the day progress. Sometimes you felt cold rain beating on your skin while other times you felt a burning sensation that went up to your arms, your legs, your mouth and it left your skin crawling and you tried to scream for it to stop but it would only become intense and it felt like your skin was melting off your body-

Your phone beeped with a new message and you rolled your eyes before fishing it out and seeing what it said; you didn't have to do that though because it was always the same one that Brittney sent every day.

_[Brittney - 6:45 AM]_

_what r we goin 2 do for the EOTW party???_

_[You- 6:45 AM]_

_The same thing we always do: Get drunk, get high, get laid._

_[Brittney - 6:46 AM]_

_excellent. u already got the drugs ready?_

_[You- 6:46 AM]_

_Yep. It should arrive the day before the party. Make sure to dress in something hot- Drew had his eyes on your ass since the beginning of the semester._

_[Brittney - 6:47 AM]_

_Ha! like i would ever let that dipshit lay a single finger on my body. i'm saving it for kenny._

_[You- 6:47 AM]_

_Whatthefuckever. Just don't forget our appointment on Wednesday._

_[Brittney - 6:47 AM]_

_k_

_[Whitney had left the conversation]_

You tucked the phone away and entered the showers that were completely devoid of life, which suits you just fine. Not too many students are awake, so you always use it to your advantage. After bathing and washing your hair, you re-enter your room and chucked your used clothes somewhere in a corner and instantly went to the full-length mirror that was in your closet.

A worn out hoodie, black jeans and silver high-tops was your chosen outfit for the day, and you sent the mirror a wide smirk and two finger guns before swaggering out to meet your friends. Plugging in your earbuds and selecting a song, you wondered out of the dorm and onto the campus that was already teeming with students.

Flowers grew all around you and filled the air with their scents while birds sang at the top of their lungs. A drone hovered in the air before flying off in a random direction. The sky looked dark but the sun managed to shine through the barricade, and you felt your body relaxing at the sight as a ghost of a smile graced your face. If it wasn't for the fact that the world may in fact end, you would have skipped school and go to the beach or just relax in the junkyard. Alas, that wasn't the case for today and you found yourself trudging to the school entrance and frowned.

So much for it being a nice day.

Fishing out your phone and going to your calendar, your frown deepen when you saw that you had to go to your Anger Management Program after classes. You know what? Screw APM- missing out a single class wouldn't kill anyone and you were starting to get sick of it (Not at your teacher though, that guy rocked).

Some of your friends met you at the corner and you talked with them for a few minutes before going to the bathroom, and despite the aloof air you were putting up, you wanted to pull your hair out. You oh so casually asked for the whereabouts of Star and the answer was a solid no. Star wasn't that hard to miss, so knowing that she was missing was driving you over the edge and it was barely eight.

You found yourself in the male's bathroom and took several deep breaths to try to calm down, although that was impossible because your throat felt like it was closing in on itself and your chest was beginning to tighten. Walking back and forth, you brought your hand to your head and let out an angry curse.

"This is wrong, everything is wrong! It wasn't supposed to happen like this, so where did that stupid bitch go?!"

You didn't mean to insult Star like that- in reality, you would never even think of a bad word to her name; she was perfect in every way you couldn't be- but you could feel the anger worming its way into your brain and tangling its black tendrils around your neck, cutting off the oxygen that you so desperately need.

The day went from bad to worse when the door burst opened and a man walked in that made your blood run cold. It was one of your father's client, and out of the hundreds of thousands that he encountered on a day to day basis, this one, in particular, made you want to hide in your closet and never come out unless he's gone. Everything about him gave off negative energy, and you found yourself cowering before him like a scared child.

Pain suddenly exploded throughout your body and you found the wind knocked out of you when he slammed you against the sink. You couldn't even register what happened when you felt something cold and hard pressed against your throat and your body froze before your mind can even identify what it was. Why the hell was he here, and why was he looking for you specifically? Was this his way of telling your father that his time was running out?

"It was just a mistake! He would get the money for you soon!"

He only let out a low growl that made all the hairs on the back of your neck stood up, and just when you thought that you were a goner, the fire alarm went off and the man looked up in confusion. Taking this as your chance for escape, you pushed him away as hard as you can and watched as the gun clattered to the ground before swiping it and pushing it into your jacket, running away from the room and into freedom.

You didn't stop until you were in a secluded area in the school, and you felt your legs turn to jelly as you collapsed to the grass. Blood pounded in your ears and your head felt light as you struggled for air. Your hands snaked its way to your hair and gripped it so tight that tears welled up in the corners of your eyes.

_Breathe, Tom. Count to ten. One...two...three..._

When you finally made it to ten, you felt your heart relaxing as your chest finally received the oxygen it was deprived of. A couple of seconds passed until you felt that you were strong enough to stand up, and you leaned against the building for support before making your way back into the open like the walking dead. While you were having your panic attack, the whole school had come out and was now wandering around in the center in a confused haze while others simply walked out through the front gates without a care in the world.

Your eyes scanned the crowd until you finally found the girl you were looking for and quickly pushed your way past the thong of bewildered students before standing in front of her; you gave her a timid smile and the hard look that was on her face softens at the sight of you.

"Hey."

"Hi."

While Brittney Wong was a general bitch to everyone, you were somehow the only one that was able to bring out the softer side of her. She flipped her shoulder length hair away from her face and gave you her signature smile and wink. "Heard you were looking for Star Butterpig. Any luck?" You shook your head and she gave you a compassionate smile and patted your arm once before getting down to the matter at hand.

"Alright, while you were off looking for your damsel in distress, I was busy getting everything ready for the End of the World party. This will be the year that the whole fucking  _town_ will remember the Vortex Club's names! The girls and I already have the decorations set up, so how're things with your side of the group?"

You rolled your eyes and launched into a whole spiral about what the boys were doing- which was jack shit. Her face instantly turned into one where she was begging to be put out of her misery, but that was only because she knows what you're experiencing with first-hand. You were cut off by someone tapping your shoulder lightly, and you spun around and said the first thing that came to your head.

" _What?!_ "

Marco held up his hands in defense and had a calm look on his face that barely veiled the fear in his eyes (You couldn't help but notice that his hands looked like he slipped on the glass and was covered in a make-shift bandage that barely did the job).

"Relax Tom! It's only me." The anger that you felt subsided slightly and you noticed the brief flash of relief that went across his face as you gestured at Brittney to leave, which she does with a grateful smile on your face. You knew she only looked like that because she absolutely _detests_ Marco and Star and wouldn't want to be in the same room with them. Folding your arms across your chest, a look of annoyance went on your features but something else slipped for a fraction of a second. If Marco noticed, he didn't say anything. "What do you want, dipshit?"

He frowned at the name but otherwise held his ground, and you couldn't help but be the smallest bit impressed. Marco told you that he was looking for Star and asked if you'd seen her, and immediately all traces of anger was gone. "....You haven't seen her either?" You hated the way how your voice sounded so pathetic and weak but you couldn't stop yourself. If Marco hadn't seen her, then where the hell could she be?

"She wasn't in our room this morning and she won't answer my calls."

"Maybe she just went off on another one of her adventures to Mewni or fighting evil."

Several times in the past you went with Star on her adventures and you suddenly found yourself missing those days.

The brunet shook his head as a concerned frown went across his face. "No, she would have told me about it. I'm worried about her." You shrugged your shoulders and, after offering your own ideas that were soon rejected, you bid him farewell and walked away. Whitney soon returned and you continued talking to her until the principal finally announced that it was safe to return to class. While the other students slowly made their way back to the building, you looked at each other before quickly shaking your head and went to the parking lot.

While Whitney went off to her class, you went off to the Two-Whale Diner and ordered your food before settling down into the worn out couches and entering a comfortable silence. Several minutes passed before your food was served, and you took out your phone as you shove some pancake into your mouth. Scrolling through your contacts, you finally found the person you were looking for and immediately started to type out your message.

_[You- 8:45 AM]_

_Did u find out anything about Star?_

_[Diass- 8:45 AM]  
_

_No luck. I must have asked half the school and the answer remained the same._

_[Diass 8:46 AM]_

_How the hell did you find out my number anyway?_

_[You- 8:46 AM]_

_None of your fucking business, Diaz._

_[You had left the conversation]_

Shoving your phone back in your pocket, you continue to eat your food in silence as you observed the customers in the building. You were lost in your thoughts for what felt like hours until you got up and placed the money along with a tip on the table before leaving and heading to your truck. Starting the engine, you drove around town to kill the time until it was going into the early evening.

Your bedroom was basically calling out to you and you were about to cut off the engine when you noticed the same man from before attacking Marco, and every fiber in your body started to scream. Dashing out of the vehicle, you pushed the man away from him and without a second thought yelled, "Follow me!" Without giving him any time to respond, you grabbed his arm and pulled him towards your truck before starting the engine and bolting away from the parking lot.  You didn't need to glance at the mirror to know that he was furious with you, and you gripped the steering wheel so hard you felt your knuckles turn white.

"Tom, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but can you please slow the fuck down?"

You glanced at him in surprise before listening to his request.

Marco blinked in amazement before it quickly morphed into one of nervousness as he anxiously drummed his fingers against his lap. For a while you were content with letting him be, but after he did this for fifteen minutes straight you had to put a stop to it. "Marco, would you _please_ stop doing that? You're starting to make _me_ nervous now and I don't even know why!"

The drumming stopped almost instantly. Throughout the whole time, Marco otherwise hadn't let out a peep and you found yourself frowning at the thought before you remembered that you're Thomas fucking Lucitor, who basically owns the bloody town itself! Glancing at him from the side, you leaned your arm out of the open window and drawl, "So. Do you have any idea why one of my father's clients gave your ass a beat down?" He shook his head and his brows knitted together in thought.

"...Maybe it had something to do with the fire-alarm I pulled off this morning."

You froze for a millisecond before forcing your body to relax as you stared at the road ahead lazily. "Yeah, that might explain a lot. But  _why_ were you in the bathroom in the first place, Marco Diaz?" The teen looked like he wanted to die right then and there as he shuffled uncomfortably in his seat before you sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. Yeah, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to talk about this anytime soon, so you told him to let it slide for the mean while. "Listen. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but we're gonna have to let that slide for tonight until my dad deals with him. So that means that you're staying with me until all this shit blows the fan. Deal?"

He looked away for several moments before slowly nodding his head. "Deal."


	4. Marco: Scream internally for the remainer of this chapter

You are now screaming internally.

You have somehow managed to find yourself trapped in a moving vehicle with Tom Lucitor, and right now you have two options: A) Throw yourself out of the car or B) Wait and see if something bad (or good) might happen. After thinking about this for a solid minute, you chose B. It didn't help that Tom drove like a goddamn manic, and when your stomach couldn't hold it in any longer you squeaked, "Tom, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but can you please slow the fuck down?"

For a fleeting moment your heart stopped as your thoughts ran wild, but to your surprise, he actually listened to your request. You blinked in amazement before it turned into anxiety as you nervously drummed your fingers against your lap for a solid fifteen minutes before Tom decided to put a stop to it.

"Marco, would you _please_ stop doing that? You're starting to make _me_ nervous now and I don't even know why!"

The drumming stopped almost instantly, and you've just realized that throughout the entire ride you haven't said a peep. Tom leaned his arm out the opened window and rested his head on his arm as he drawled, "So. Do you have any idea why one of my father's clients gave your ass a beat down?" You honestly have no idea yourself as you shook your head absentmindedly. "...Maybe it had something to do with the fire-alarm I pulled off this morning."

For the second time that evening, your heart stopped; when you realized what you'd said you didn't dare look at the teen beside you in fear of his reaction. His body seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second before it relaxed and you couldn't help but wonder if you really saw that. A voice screeched at you to rewind time but you found that you couldn't even move a muscle even if you've tried.

"Yeah, that might explain a lot. But _why_ were you in the bathroom in the first place, Marco Diaz? And if you tell me to take a dump I will kick your ass into next century."

Yeah, how _were_ you going to explain that to him anyways? _"Well, I saw a pretty butterfly and took a picture of it when you walked in looking as pissed off as ever. Then some guy that looked like a rip-off version of Nicholas Cage walked in, pulled a gun and shot your ass and I somehow managed to rewind time to save said ass. How has your day been?"_

There was no way in hell you were going to say that, so instead you opted for the next best thing. Silence. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose like an annoyed parent and sighed heavily. "Listen. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but we're gonna have to let that slide for tonight until my dad deals with him. So that means that you're staying with me until all this shit blows the fan. Deal?"

To say you were speechless would be an understatement. Turning your head to the side, you thought the offer over for several moments before slowly nodding. "Deal."

The teen didn't say anything after that and continued the drive to his house, and seeing that the conversation was obviously done, you returned to look at the window. Everything moved in a hazy blur and you could feel the ghostly presence of a headache creeping in the back of your skull. God, this whole day was just this one big complicated mess. No, scratch that, these entire _weeks_ was a big complicated mess.

Letting out a pent-up sigh that did very little to relieve your nerves, you closed your eyes and spent the remainder of the trip like that. At some point in time, you must have fallen asleep because the next thing you remembered was Tom shaking your arm lightly in an attempt to wake you. "Dude, wake up already. I'm not carrying your butt all the way to my house." Swatting his hand away, you mumbled something incoherent under your breath as you wiped the sleep away from your eyes and got out of the vehicle.

Contrary to what you thought, his house wasn't three stories high with a water fountain in the middle of the yard and a big ass fence blocking off the rest of the world. Instead, it was a charming country-style home that was two stories tall and was painted a pale yellow with white trimmings. A large oak tree stood in the far left of the yard and had a tire swing attached to one of the more larger branches, although it looked like it hasn't been used in years. There was the faint scent of bread baking and something that may resemble pie and you realized just how hungry you were. Maybe skipping dinner was a bad idea.

"I'll tell my dad about what happened. In the meanwhile, helped yourself to some pie. Lord knows he makes too much of the stuff," Tom said the last part under his breath but there was no malice in it and he sounded genuinely amused. You nodded mutely and followed the teen inside the house and you were immediately hit with the smell of butterscotch pie that made your stomach growl. Praying to God he didn't hear that, you were about to say something that may or may not embarrass you when there was a tiny meow that came from your feet, and you were certain you've died then and there.

A small kitten that barely looked a year old was pawing at your shoes and looked at you with the brightest green eyes you've ever seen, and the squeal left your mouth before you could stop yourself. "Oh my god she's so cute!" You cooed as you lifted her up, and she meowed again and a little piece of you died instantly. Scratching behind her ear, she purred loudly and rubbed her head against your hand, her fur soft like a doll. You barely registered the fact that Tom was still in the living room with you and was startled when he chuckled under his breath.

"Never pegged you to be a cat fan. You can go sit on the couch or something, I don't really care. Just don't mess anything up." Nodding fast and not listening to a word he said, you made yourself comfortable on the furniture and grabbed a ball of yarn that was on the coffee table in front of you and began playing with the kitten.

You always wanted to get a pet when you were small but you never could since your mom was allergic to anything that had fur, so you were forced to have lame pets like a lizard or a goldfish. The only thing that you thought was cool was the turtle you've gotten when you were ten, and for some reason, you named him Laurens, although why you came up with that name you never knew. Brushing back your hair away from your eyes, you giggled when the feline started biting your hand with her teeth as you poked her nose lightly to catch her attention.

Tom came back with two plates balanced in his hand along with a man that was taller than you, and you almost thought that he was his older brother when you remembered that Tom was an only child. The man, whom you're assuming to be his dad, gave you a gentle smile that immediately calmed your nerves as he extended a hand.

"Greetings! You must be Tom's friend. It's a pleasure to meet you."

You didn't have the heart to correct him and took his hand before pulling back and hissing when pain flared up in the palm of your hand. Right, you forgot about that. Concern flashed in his eyes as he asked you what happened, and you found yourself debating on whether you should tell him the truth or not. In the end, you told him that you fell down in the boy's bathroom and landed on some glass, which wasn't that far from the truth since you _did_ fell down after you pulled the fire alarm. You were in such a rush that you did a poor excuse for taking care of the damage and completely forgot about it for the rest of the day.

He told Tom to get some medicine and a roll of bandages and the teen soon returned with the items as Mr. Lucitor went to work. After pouring the medicine on your hands to make sure that it doesn't get infected, he re-applied some fresh bandages and stepped back to see his work and was apparently satisfied with what he'd done. "You must be hungry after such a long day. Do you want some pie? I can go make us a cup of tea, or would you prefer something else?"

How the hell was this Tom's dad? He was like an angel compared to the party-hard addict that you've come to know. It was going for ten now and you have no idea how long you've stayed up in thought. Both Tom and his dad went to bed a long time ago, and you were the only person who was still awake. Shifting your position from the couch, you brought the blanket over your head and sighed.

Sleep was difficult to fight off but you were afraid that everytime you closed your eyes you would see the storm approaching Echo Creek and destroying everything in its path. Your body was too tense and it would give a little twitch to get rid of any excess energy but to no avail.

You had no idea when you've fallen asleep, but when you opened your eyes you were met with rain pouring down you in buckets as tree branches whipped and attacked you without mercy. Your clothes were soaked in seconds and you shivered in the cold but forced yourself to find the lighthouse and, hopefully, find Star. If she was here before, then it's a good chance that she might be here again. Your assumptions were proven correct when you saw bright gold hair in the distance, and you couldn't hold back your joy.

"Star!"

Again, she turned to face you in shock. And like before, it quickly turned into fear and anger. "Marco, why are you here again?! It isn't safe!"

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock! Where _are_ you?!"

Her eyes darted to the cyclone before flickering back to your face, and you were shocked when you saw tears streaming down her cheeks. "Marco, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you! You need to go!" Taking a step towards her, you shouted above the rain," Why not? Star, do you know what's going on?"

She didn't answer your questions and took another step back like she was afraid of you. "It's for your own good- I can't let you end up like me." Star gave you a pleading look one last time before sprinting off into the distance, and you barely managed to take a single step forward when something huge suddenly entered your vision before it became black.

When you woke up, your mind felt like it was in overdrive and it took you a couple of minutes to actually get your bearings. Glancing at your phone, you made a face when you saw that it was going for twelve and a groan escaped your lips as you brought your hand down your face. At this rate, you may as well call yourself an insomniac.

Walking into the kitchen quietly so as to not disturb the others, you picked up a glass and went to get some water to cool your dry throat. It was clear that sleep was far from your mind, so you went back to the couch and started playing with your phone in hopes of passing the time. Maybe you can go to that one coffee shop in town so that you won't turn into the walking dead; a smile ghosted your face when you remembered Star first time with drinking coffee. She was pouncing across the room for hours after that and she banned herself from ever getting anything that has caffeine.

The smile died when you remembered your dream.

What did she mean when she said that she didn't want you to become like her? Was Star even _in_ this timeline at all? For all you know, she may have taken off just like Jackie-Lynn Thomas did six months ago.

You felt your heart tighten when you remembered your first and possibly only crush. You were certain that the entire school knows about your feeling for her, but that didn't stop you from making a complete fool of yourself multiple times in the past. It was during the middle school dance that you finally gathered the courage to ask her out, and you were certain that you almost fainted when she said yes. It was also on that same night that she kissed you, and you felt like you've died and gone to heaven.

The two of you officially became a couple and everybody was happy for you, including Star. The relationship lasted well into high school, and it was during those months that you truly felt alive; like nothing could go wrong. Then one day, Jackie just left Echo Creek. No one heard anything from her since and you felt like you wanted to die. Star and her friends did everything they could to comfort you but it didn't work. You refused to come out of your room, convinced that the reason why Jackie left was that of you. Months passed before you were finally able to move on, or so you thought.

You were all too aware of the tears that rolled down your face just at the mere thought of your former girlfriend and you gritted your teeth in frustration. When you heard the steps creaking behind you, you quickly wiped away any remaining tears and feigned sleep. Cracking an eye open, you saw Tom walking down the steps in a torn shirt and short pants, his hair flying all over the place instead of the usual clean looked he had. He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a glass of milk, although instead of going back to bed, he went to your direction and sat down on the floor and leaned against the couch.

"I know you're awake, so just cut the crap already."

Knowing that it was no use to deny the obvious, you tossed the blanket off your body and leaned your head against your arm. "Couldn't sleep?" The redhead simply shook his head and took a sip of the cold refreshment. "It sucks too. I have a test tomorrow with Mrs. Grant first thing in the morning." You made a face and said that you would bring him flowers to his funeral, and he actually laughed. Coming to the conclusion that the only reason he was like this was that he'd just woken up, you laughed under his breath and fell into a comfortable silence.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you were reliving the same day over and over again?"

"Yes."

Tom, who was caught off-guard at how fast you've answered, was at a loss for words for a second.

"Something big is going to happen, Marco. And I think we're caught in the middle of it."

_You have no idea how right you are._

Staring at the cat, Tom ran a hand through his hair and gave a shaky laugh. "Glad to know that I'm not the only one suffering in hell," you muttered under your breath darkly, flicking away some bangs that got in front of your eyes. "What do you mean?" For some reason, you wanted to tell him everything that happened but you kept your mouth shut and told him to forget you'd even said anything. He looked like he wanted to press more into the matter but didn't, which you were thankful for.

When you opened your eyes you saw that sunlight was trickling through the curtains, and a quick glance at the time told you that it was going for nine. You didn't even realize that you'd fallen asleep. Peeking at the kitchen told you that Mr. Lucitor was making breakfast and Tom was walking down the stairs and looked like he was ready to go to school. Digging into your memory informed you that you don't have classes until eleven, and you dimly recalled him telling you that he had a test this morning.

"Hey, Tom."

He looked at you in surprise and, for some odd reason, you felt your face turning hot. Maybe you're getting sick. "Good luck with your test today." Tom stayed quiet for a moment before giving you a thumbs-up sign and walking out the door with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Your name is Marco Diaz, and something told you that today was going to be a good day.

(You changed your mind later that day when you walked into the campus and got attacked by Brittney and her gang of sluts when they dumped paint all over you at the entrance of the dorm. You got them back later though, so all's fair in love and war.)


	5. Tom: War Child

You couldn't sleep.

Burying your face in your pillow you let out a growl of frustration when you saw that it was only past ten, and you felt like you were going insane. Tugging at your hair and burning a hole into the wall, you tried closing your eyes and letting your body relax but everything was too tense and the room felt like it was on fire and you couldn't breathe oh god why can't you breathe-?

_[Star- 10:10 PM}_

_You really should get some sleep; you'll turn into a zombie at first light._

_[You- 10:10 PM]_

_Says the person who is literally MIA. Where are you?_

_[Star- 10:11 PM]_

_You know I can't tell you. It's complicated- please stop asking me about that._

_[You- 10:12 PM]_

_I'll stop asking you when you give me a god damn answer. Marco's worried for you and **I'm**_ _worried about you. Why can't you just cut the bs already and just tell me where you are?!  
_

_[Star- 10:13 PM]_

_Tom, please don't make me do this. I don't want you getting hurt!_

_[You- 10:15 PM]_

_Ha! Now isn't that rich? You don't want me getting hurt when you might be getting hurt yourself! Just tell me what's wrong, Star, and I'll help you!_

_[Star- 10:15 PM]_

_I'm sorry, Tom. Maybe we can speak again when you stop acting like a FUCKING DICK!_

_[Star left the conversation}_

Anger flooded through your body and in the spur of the moment you threw your phone across the room and didn't bother checking to see if it was all right. You felt like screaming into your pillow but your hands snaked their way to your hair as they tugged at it, trying to ignore the tears that burned your vision.

Why can't she see the truth?! Why does she always have to make everything _so difficult?!_ Star had started texting you earlier in the day and you were so overjoyed that you didn't bother asking her for answers. But the more you talked to her, the more it became apparent that she was in danger, but from what you have no idea.

Choking back a sob, you closed your eyes and force yourself to calm down before you do something that you'll regret. When you opened them, you were surprised to see that you were in town, although it looked nothing like the one you've grown up in. The rain poured over the town in buckets, and you shivered in the cold and shielded your eyes

Everything was in chaos- people screamed in terror as they ran about in a panic to find someplace safe to ride out the storm. The rain poured over the town in buckets, and you shivered in the cold and shielded your eyes with your hand in hopes of seeing anything in front of you. Confusion clouded your mind and, in the heat of the moment, you blindly followed a girl running to a local store when a scream cut through the air and made your heart stop. Ignoring the voice that screamed at you to keep moving, you back peddled and headed in the direction where it came from, although it was difficult to do so because of the wind that howled in your ears.

When you finally managed to pinpoint the exact location where it was, you felt your heart lurched up your throat. A boy who barely looked five was trapped under some rubble that, if he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he would have walked right past him with how small he was. He looked at you with tear-filled eyes and you have no second thoughts as you appeared by his side in a flash and was already trying to move the obstacle off his legs. "I-it hurts...." You shooshed him softly in an attempt to ease his nerves and started making small talk.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

"A-Alexander."

"Where's your mama?"

"I don't k-know."

The rubble moved an inch off his legs. Shit, this thing was heavier than you'd thought.

"Ever been to Disney World?"

"N-no."

"Well, how about this, Alex? If this storm blows over, I will take you, your mama, and maybe your siblings to Disney World. That place is downright beautiful, and they make the best cotton-candy in the world."

Another inch. You can feel your arms burning but you fought past the pain.

"What's cotton-candy?"

"It's like a cloud but you can hold it; melts in your mouth too if you leave it long enough. One time I had like three of them when I and my friend went there last year- I couldn't stop bouncing for two hours. She was this close to tying me on the bed when I passed out."

Alex let out a breathy giggle and you finally managed to get the broken building off his legs as he crawled backward. Letting it drop with a huff, you bent down to try to catch your breath before glancing at the child. His legs were more damaged that you'd thought, and it was a wonder that he wasn't screaming in pain. The only thing you were able to see was blood and skin, and you forced down the vomit that you can feel rising in the back of your throat. Alex didn't look at it and whispered," Is it bad?"

You bit the inside of your mouth and asked if he can feel anything from the hip down, and he shook his head.

_Shit._

Telling him soothing words to stop the tears from falling, you carried him bridal style and looked among the chaos. The only place that looked remotely safe was a building on the other side of the street, although it might as well be across the sea with how hard the rain was coming down.

You held your breath before sprinting across the road and you almost would have made it too if it wasn't for the sudden scream that tore through Alex's mouth once more, and you had very little time to react when you saw the car entered your vision for a brief second you freeze before dodging out of the way, although your timing was poor when you felt something collide into your back and the only thing you heard was a loud ringing and Alex screaming out your name before you woke up.

Gasping for air, you clutched your shirt in sweaty palms and tried to calm down your mind, although that was hard to do. For several horrible moments, you felt like your entire body was on fire and it took a lot out of you not to scream. Bringing your hand to your mouth and biting onto it so hard you tasted blood, you took heaving breaths to control your heartbeat and gradually, it returned to normal, however, you found that sleep was not going to be kind to you tonight.

Checking the time (It was barely going to twelve), you were about to turn on your computer and scroll through Facebook until your nerves settled when the bedroom door opened and your step-mother walked in.

In some weird way, she almost looked like you, and it unnerved you at first when you realized that she had more in common with you than your own mother. Her hair was the same dull brown as yours before you dyed it a light salmon (You remembered telling Star a million times that it wasn't pink) and had vibrant brown eyes that had tints of gold in them, making them look almost cat-like.

It took you until they were five months into the relationship when it revealed that she was a transgender. Your dad told you it over breakfast one morning, and it wasn't even that dramatic. His words and you quote were," Tom, Lucille's a transgender. Do you want some more eggs?"

You didn't question anything about it because then that would make you a hypocrite, and honestly, you could care less about what your father did with his love life. As long as she wasn't like your original mother, then everything can be sunshine and rainbows between the two of you.

Adelaide stared at you hard and you can tell that despite the dim light that poured in through the opened window, she can see how bloodshot your eyes were and the way that you trembled like a leaf. She strode across the room and made herself comfortable on the end of the bed, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pale skirt that touched the floor and you faintly recalled thinking if she was even asleep at all.

Her eyes were lined with dark circles and her body movement was a lot slower than usual, almost like she was swimming through syrup. The redhead gave you a tired smile and brought you close to her side.

"Is everything all right?"

Knowing that she can spot a lie from a mile away, you shook your head and leaned into the touch, relishing the temporary peace that followed whenever she's with you. Running her fingers through your tangled hair, she massaged your scalp and you found yourself closing your eyes as you stifled a yawn, although you fought off the sleep like it was your enemy. You didn't want to return to the world where everything was in chaos, and you sure as hell don't want to relive that memory all over again. The first time was hard enough as it is.

You stayed like that for Lord knows how long, but when Adelaide spoke it somehow felt right in the inky darkness; almost like the two elements were hand-in-hand with one another. "Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps to talk about a nightmare- it might calm you down."

As much as you wanted to, something inside you told you that it wouldn't be a good idea to confess to her what you witnessed. It was almost like you were afraid that you might jinx something if you do. So instead you held your tongue and shook your head mutely like those decorations in the circus. You knew that as much as she wanted to press the matter, she didn't comment on your choice of action and instead continued scratching your head slowly like you were one big cat.

A moment passed before she got up and smoothed out the wrinkles from her skirt, telling you that she was going to bed and kissing you on the forehead before walking out of the room, and it immediately felt empty and cold.

_I need a drink._

Staggering out of your bedroom like a drunken sailor, you easily avoided walking into objects in the dark and headed downstairs. What your body really wanted was a shot, maybe some of your dad's old-timey wine he had laying around in the cellar, but you knew that that would just fuck you up more than you already were, so you opened the fridge and poured yourself a glass of milk but why the fuck not?

Your eyes wandered to the living room and you saw Marco's figure in the dim light, although it was plain as day that he wasn't sleeping. Rolling your eyes at the pathetic display, you found yourself walking to his direction and lowered your body so that you were now sitting on the floor. His body tensed behind you.

"I know you're awake, so just cut the crap already."

You didn't mean to be so blunt about it, but you were so deprived of sleep that you could care less how he took it. Marco stayed under the covers for a few more seconds before tossing it off his body and leaned his head against his arm. "Couldn't sleep?" _Yeah, no shit Sherlock._ Choosing instead to shake your head instead of giving a response, you took a sip from the refreshment and sighed in relief internally. You didn't realize how dry and scratchy your throat was until now.

"It sucks too. I have a test tomorrow with Mrs. Grant first thing in the morning." Marco made a face, and you felt yourself mirroring his expression. "Don't worry, Tom. I'll send you flowers for your funeral." You had no idea why, but the statement actually made you laugh; the sheer absurdity of it all simply too much for your brain to handle that night. Marco joined in, although you dimly recalled that his laugh seemed tired and drained of life, almost like he was carrying the whole world on his shoulders. The two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence, and you were starting to drift off to sleep when you began talking without even realizing it.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you were reliving the same day over and over again?"

The question came out of nowhere, and you had no idea what made you said it. You were about to tell him to forget you even said anything when he answered with a quick "Yes", almost like he was waiting for you to ask that question in the first place. Caught off guard by the sheer bluntness of the response, you were at a loss for words for a few seconds before finding your voice, and again you chalked it up to your brain lacking sleep. "Something big is going to happen, Marco. And I think we're caught in the middle of it."

Staring at the sleeping cat- you couldn't help but feel envious that it was able to get a good night sleep and you can't- you ran a hand through your hair to get rid of some tangles and gave a shaky laugh, suddenly nervous. "Glad to know that I'm not the only one suffering in hell," Marco muttered under his breath darkly, flicking away some bangs that got in front of his eyes, and you asked why. In the dark, you managed to make out his eyes narrowing in thought before shaking his head and telling you to forget that he even said anything.

A part of you wanted to ask what was wrong, but you shove that piece down before it grows. You had no idea you'd fallen asleep until your dad woke you up by shaking your shoulders and calling out your name softly so that he wouldn't wake your guest. Rubbing the sleep away from your eyes, you stood up and stretched your body at the same time the cat did before informing your dad that Marco had classes later in the day since Whitney was in the same class with him.

Going upstairs to wash up after eating some breakfast (Pancakes with peanut butter and syrup and chocolate-milk), you came downstairs feeling a helluva lot better than you did last night. You ran a hand through your hair to give it a natural look since you were feeling lazy and grabbed your bag from the beside the step, and you were just about to go when Marco called out your name, making you jump and you prayed to God that he didn't see that.

The brunet almost looked embarrassed, which made you confused. "Good luck with your test today." You blinked and dug through your memory only to remember the conversation you had last night. At a loss for words, you simply gave him a thumbs-up before walking out of the house and heading straight to your truck. Tossing your bag carelessly into the passenger seat, you starting the ignition and took out your phone to play a song that might hopefully wake you up from your zombie-like state and was pleasantly surprised when a song came on that was, quite frankly, one of your favorites.

Backing out of the driveway, you started banging your hand to the beat of the music as you started to sing along with it (If you had to be honest, you're singing is fucking horrible, but that didn't stop you from causing hundreds of people ears to bleed that morning).

 _I like to get my fucking fade on!_ _I'm feeling sexy, I'm like "ooh"_

You sang that song throughout the remainder of the trip, and you regretted nothing.

 

_[Brittney sent a photo at 9:47 AM]  
_

_[You- 9:48 AM]_

_wtf is this nonsense_

_[You- 9:48 AM]_

_is this my punishment for buying myself a goddamn coffee in celebration at acing that test from grant?_

_[You- 9:48 AM]_

_brit, I know I like pussy like any other guy, but it's too early for this shit._

_[Brittney - 9:48 AM]_

**_shit!_ ** _tom, I'm so sorry about that! I was going to send it to Kenny but my finger pressed the on the wrong name!_

_[You- 9:49 AM]_

_I thought you said you were waiting it out?_

_[Brittney - 9:49 AM]_

_there's nothing wrong with a bit of teasing, non? ;)_

_[You- 9:50 AM]_

_ew. stop that right now, it's too early for this crap._

_[Brittney - 9:50 AM]_

_alright, alright. are you still coming to the meeting for the party?_

_[You- 9:51 AM]_

_well duh. of course, I'm going. I always go._

_[Brittney - 9:51 AM]_

_kk. love u, bye_

_[Brittney left the conversation]_

 

" _Yo, Tommy! How's it goin' man?"  
_

Your body suddenly lurched forward as you were caught in an enthusiastic hug by none other than Justin Armberg, one of the football player for the school. If it wasn't for him being one of the popular kids, then you wouldn't have batted an eye at his direction. Nonetheless, these sort of things calls for commitment, and Justin can be a pretty okay dude most of the time.

Today was not the day where you were feeling committed.

"I can't wait until the End of the World party the Vortex Club gonna throw! It's gonna be _sick_ _!_ " You nodded slowly, already feeling burned out since the effects of the coffee you had earlier was starting to fade. Rubbing your eye with your free hand, you tilted your head to the side and tried to pay attention to what he was saying, although the only thing you were able to hear was static. The only thing you wanted more in life right now was to just find somewhere nice and quiet to take a nap, and that wouldn't be happening anytime soon with this yahoo blabbering all day long. So you did the only thing you knew how to do: You made some half-baked excuse and left Justin to his own device.

You found yourself heading in the direction of the dorm and you inwardly gave a sigh of relief when you passed one of the many lampposts scattered across the campus and froze. A ringing that sounded like a flat line rang in your ears as you turned your gaze to the flyer stapled on the wood, reading what it had in disbelief.

Words were scrawled hurriedly and in thick, crude letters with a picture of Star Butterfly herself the main center of attention.

**MISSING**

**MISSING FROM: Echo Creek**

**DATE MISSING: Monday, September 18, 2017**

**OTHER:**

**Age: 17 years old**

**Height: 5'5''                       Weight: 110 lbs**

**Hair: Blond                                        Eyes: Blue**

**Believes that she is a magical princess from Mewni**

**PLEASE CLASS WITH ANY INFORMATION**

**CALL: Echo Creek Sheriff's**

**(555) 387-6024**

You stopped reading when your vision became blurry with tears and you found yourself running to your dorm and pushing away anyone who gets in your way. Opening your door so hard that you were surprised that it didn't break off its hinges, you threw your bag across the room and heard something break, although you didn't care to check what it was. Punching in the number on your phone, you held the device to your ear as you muttered angrily to your self and refrain from punching anything valuable, which was basically everything in your goddamn room. After the third ring, Marco finally picked up.

_"Hello?"_

"Yes, Marco, what in the _fuck_ were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all when you did that?"

_"What the fuck are you talking about? And stop shouting already, you're loud enough as it is without making my ears bleed."_

At this point, you were practically bristling. "What I _mean_ is why in the fucking fuck did you put up that missing person flyer on campus? Star's isn't missing, and you don't have the right to-"

 _"Hold it the fuck there. I did_ what _?"_

God, was he deaf? You repeated the sentence with more force than needed and you could almost feel the confusion radiating from over the phone.

_"Dude, I don't know in which world you live in, but I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."  
_

"Ha! That's rich considering how much time you spend with Star."

Marco made a frustrated noise on the other end of the line and you almost felt like doing the same. Instead, you chose to pace back and forth in your room while the brunet collected his thoughts.

_"Look, Tom, I didn't put up any missing person posters on campus, and even if I did, I wouldn't do it so soon. Star's probably hanging out with Pony- I mean Stella and her other friends and just lost track of time. Trust me, I know."_

You rolled your eyes even though he wouldn't see it, but a tiny part of you felt relieved if that was the case. You've seen how wild Star friends were, and if she was with them, then at least you'd know that she's in safe hands; sorta.

_"Where did you even saw the poster anyway?"_

"Near our dorm. You not on campus?"

_"I'm at the Two Whale Diner. Classes doesn't start for at least a hour or two and-"_

The line went dead and you felt confusion rise in you before you put your phone away and fell to the bed in ungracefully. Screw Marco, screw Star, and screw the goddamn world.

 

"Tom!"

You looked up from eating your sandwich and saw Brittney running to you, her eyes wide and full of excitement as you hastily put away the now forgotten sandwich and stood up, although it was a stupid thing to do since she tackled you into a hug and spun you around in a quick circle. "Brit, what the hell?!" You cried despite the laugh that came out when she released you. You haven't seen her this excited in years, and you quickly run the math to see if it was her birthday (It's not). While you are taller than her by a good amount, she'd proven to be a lot stronger than you, and sometimes she likes to use that to her advantage.

"It came! The dress came!"

All at once her excitement became yours. Bouncing like a ten-year-old on chocolate, you couldn't stop the grin on your face from growing. "Well, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's see the dress!"

The two of you broke into a run to her dorm, ignoring the way how some of the students watched after you like you were a frigging ghost. In the past, whenever her outfit for the party arrived, Brittney was either pissed or super pissed, so seeing her look this excited meant that her day was going better than you had hoped. She unlocked the door for her room and practically pushed you onto her bed, closing the door behind her quickly and picking up the box that was wrapped neatly in red and white wrappings off her cluttered desk.

She jumped on top of the bed and brought her hands to her mouth to keep herself from squealing, although you couldn't help but snickered when a tiny squeak escaped anyway. Grinning so wide your face began to hurt, you watched as she eagerly unwrapped the box and took out the dress with a grand flourish, mirroring your expression.

The dress looked like a cross between a maid outfit and a battle armor, reminding you greatly of a character from RWBY. The only two color it had was black or white and was extremely short, although it looked like it would fit Brittney just fine. Holding it to her chest, she said that she was going to try it on and quickly went off, leaving you to your own devices. Smiling fondly at where she left, you laid down on your side and closed your eyes, your body slowly relaxing as you sank into your thoughts; it only occurred to you when the door suddenly opened that you'd managed to fall asleep during that short amount of time.

"How do I look?"

"Like a french maid. Should I take out my pad and pencil while you strike a pose?"

She laughed and spun around in a quick circle, giddy with how the dress felt on her and how it puffed like a cupcake when she turned around. You felt happy for her, and you clapped your hands as she gave you a quick curtsey; the dress showed off her chest and you refrain yourself from looking at them because that would be gross.

"This dance is going to be so fucking cool! We're gonna take the town by storm!"

_Yep. If we all don't die before then..._


	6. Marco: Sincerely, Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not late- you're late.

" _Mon ami, vous avez cherché a souligné. Tout va bien?_ "

 "Ferg, for the last time, stop speaking in French already. You know very well I can't understand a single word you say."

"Yeah, Ferg! Stop showing off how good you are in other languages."

"If Marco cannot appreciate the beauty that is French, then he will- Wait, what pronouns do you want to go by today?"

"She/her would be fine."

"Oh, then I need to change your hairstyle then. It was getting too complicated anyway. Anyways, _she_ will just have to _l'étudier et d'apprécier comment bon j'attends aujourd'hui._ "

" _Vous baiser_."

"Guuuuuys! Stop speaking in French already- I feel left out."

Ferguson rolled his eyes but continued braiding your hair your hair anyways into something more appropriate for your current gender choice; he loosens his grip on your hair however when you winced in mild pain and continued arguing with his boyfriend. A fond smile went across your face as you watched the two teens bickered over the topic.

While Ferguson was away in another school and Alfonzo was busy with the band, the three of you still remained friends even after all these years.

The curly haired teen managed to get out of his "awkward stage" and, although he doesn't have a body of a beach hunk, he was still attractive in his own goofy way. He'd gotten rid of the outfit he wore in high school and now wear a simple baby-blue shirt with white sleeves and red jeans, growing out his hair so that it was always tied up in a tight bun and getting rid of the round glasses and wearing big rectangular ones instead.

Ferguson, on the other hand, had gotten rid of his baby fat and replaced it with muscles, although still didn't look like a jock in the slightest. He was always flirting with the ladies despite the fact that he was dating Alfonzo for about a year and a half. "Al, pass me that clip over- Thank you."

He tied off the braid and stepped back to admire his work, tilting his head to one side as Alfonzo gushed at your new hairstyle. "Is it too tight? Is the braid too uneven?" "Ferg, it's fine! Isn't that right, Al?" The teen nodded excitedly and Ferguson finally relented from making any unnecessary changes and sat down next on the other side of the picnic table. Leaning against his arm, he gave you a sly smile that made you feel slightly uneasy.

"You still didn't answer my question, you know. Why are you so stressed out? Did you finally meet your special someone?"

You pulled a face and shook your head quickly. "No, it's not that. It's just..." You sighed heavily. "I'm worried about Star. It isn't like her to just.... _leave_ without leaving some sort of explanation behind. None of her friends heard from her either, and you can't just lose someone like her because that's impossible since she's just a walking ball of sunshine and light and...." Realizing that you were beginning to ramble, your sentence slowly trailed off as you hid your red face behind your equally red sweater. Alfonzo and Ferguson now had shit-eating grins on their faces, and your face turned redder because of it.

Tugging down on a bang that escaped the braid, you avert your eyes away from the eager teens. "C'mon guys, it's not like I like her like _that_ or anything..." It was now Alfonzo turn to lean his head against his arm as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are you certain about that, Mar?"

" _Yes_ , I'm certain about that."

While their teasing _was_ innocent, you couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about it. You and Star had this conversation about a year ago when you were first dating Jackie, and things have been.... tense ever since. After a while, she finally became her old self and the entire problem was forgotten.

Picking up your bag and slinging it over your shoulders, you quickly bid them a farewell and ignored the way how they whistled behind you like a pack of wolves.

 

_[You- 10:47 AM]_

_Hey Star, it's me, Marco._

_[You- 10:47 AM]_

_God, what am I saying? Of course, you know that it's me._

_[You- 10:48 AM]_

_Anyways, how has your day been going? Did anything interesting happened on Mewni?_

_[You- 10:48 AM]_

_..... Alright, I'll come clean. I'm worried about you._

_[You- 10:51 AM]_

_It isn't like you to just... disappear on me like that. Yes, there are times when you DO disappear on me from time to time, but at least you left me some sort of warning! You just.....left without a trace, and it left me unnerved. If I have to be honest, it's almost like the same thing Jackie_

_[You- 10:52 AM]  
_

_Forget it, just forget everything  I said._

_[You- 10:53]  
_

_I love you, Star. Take care of yourself._

 

Parking your bike against the wall, you quickly chained it to a pole before entering the Two Whale Diner, not glancing up from your phone once. Taking a seat next to the jukebox, you continued typing furiously into your phone and barely registered someone calling your name until you felt a light smack on the back of your head. Letting out a yelp in surprise, you almost dropped your phone and immediately turned your head to the side to glare at the person before it froze on your face.

Your aunt June stood in front of your with her hand against her hip and the other one holding a plate of food, a large smile plastered on her freckled face. She used to live in the town over before deciding that her previous job wasn't for her and started doing her passion- cooking. You haven't seen her this happy in years.

"Hey, honey! How are you and Star doing? I like your hair!"

You shifted uncomfortably under her inquisitive stare and began fiddling with the string on your hoodie. "E-everything's fine." You lied, and none the wiser, she gave your head an affectionate scratch before asking if you wanted the usual. Desperate to get the conversation over with, you quickly nodded your head and watch as she scribbled it on her notepad before waltzing off into the kitchen.

Holding the toothy smile on your face until you were certain she wasn't there, your face fell into a tired expression as you groaned into your hands and made an attempt to run your fingers through your hair before getting it tangled in your braid in the process. You had no idea why it felt so difficult to act normal around her before you remembered: You had been here so many times and had seen her died in this location so many times that it was only natural to feel so distress.

Sighing heavily through your nose, you fished out your phone and scrolled through your apps before settling on one and plugging in your earbuds before starting up the game, slouching in the worn out booth while you waited for your food.

 Everything was going so nicely, too.

After several minutes into the game and seeing a new high score within your grasps, you let out an internal scream when the game suddenly got cut off and the opening theme for Space Unicorns started blasting out, scaring you so badly you almost dropped your phone into your cup of coffee.

"Hello?"

 _"Yes, Marco, what in the_ fuck _were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all when you did that?"_

Instinct made you pulled the phone away from your ear, and you wondered if you put the call on speaker or his voice is just louder than usual.

"What the fuck are you talking about? And stop shouting already, you're loud enough as it is without making my ears bleed."

Either you were more tired than you'd thought or you were just feeling braver than usual, but you didn't feel like giving a crap about what Tom was saying. You could feel his anger on the other side of the phone.

 _"What I_ mean _is why in the fucking fuck did you put up that missing person flyer on campus? Star's isn't missing, and you don't have the right to-"_

You cut him off mid-sentence, waving your hands while you talked.

Okay, now you _know_ Tom got off the deep end. "Hold it the fuck there. I did _what_?" He let out a frustrated sigh before repeating the statement again with more force than needed, but you could care less how he talked. You were going through your memories to see if you remembered seeing what Tom was talking about. Despite how short you spent at school, you never once saw a missing poster on Star.

"Dude, I don't know in which world you live in, but I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

_"Ha! That's rich considering how much time you spend with Star."_

Frustrated, you groaned aloud and rubbed your hand down your face in annoyance. God, just how thick was his head?

"Look, Tom, I didn't put up any missing person posters on campus, and even if I did, I wouldn't do it so soon. Star's probably hanging out with Pony- I mean Stella and her other friends and just lost track of time. Trust me, I know."

You found little comfort in the lie, but if it kept Tom off your back, then it's worth it.

"Where did you even saw the poster anyway?"

_"Near our dorm. You not on campus?"_

"I'm at the Two Whale Diner. Classes don't start for at least an hour or two and-"

A slightly tanned hand took the phone from your grasp and ignored your noise of protest. Janna Ordonia stood in front of you with her left arm and your phone grasped in her right hand. A cocky grin was on her face while you tried in vain to retrieve your stolen device before you finally let out a whine in defeat. "Jaaaaaanna! Give me back my phone- I was having a very important conversation!"

She placed her finger against her chin in thought before replying with a quick no, causing you to growl in frustration. She slides into the seat in front of you and continued grinning. "So, what's shakin' bacon? By the way, I'm digging the new hairstyle." Ignoring the compliment, you copied her sitting position.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Teacher got sick, so I saw no reason for staying. How 'bout you?"

"Classes don't start until later."

Janna high-fived a random stranger before leaning against her arm and grinning lazily, although you couldn't help but notice the gleam in her eyes. "So, where's your partner in crime?"

You tensed. Suddenly finding the cup in front of you interesting, you focused your attention on it. Janna leaned over the table and her eyes grew wide. "Dude, you gotta give me _something_ _!_ Your adventures are always so cool!" Stammering, you averted your eyes away from hers and looked down at your lap; your grip on the cup tightening. "I-I. . ."

How are you going to tell her? _Hey Janna, I can't really say anything for sure, but Star's missing and I have no idea how to handle it._ Lying is never an option with her since she can read you like an open book, and if you danced around the truth she'll what to know the reason why and then that will leave you with even bigger problems! Sure, she'll probably laugh about it now, but you _know_ that she will keep pestering you about it until you finally break, and then what were you going to do?

"L-look Janna, I, um, I don't really. . ." You found that you couldn't complete the sentence without breaking down into a stuttering mess. Letting out a sigh and closing your eyes so you wouldn't have to look at her, you hugged your body and suddenly found yourself feeling cold.

She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything your aunt suddenly appeared beside you and placed the food on the table with a cheery "Enjoy!" before skipping off, giving Janna a quick smile and nod on the way. Thankful for the distraction, you began shoveling the food in your mouth and nearly choked in the process. Janna weaved her way out of the booth and quickly began patting your back when you _did_ began to choke, and you took a deep gasp for air when you could finally breathe easily.

Stuttering out a thank-you, you felt your face heating up even more as she now gazed intensely into your eyes. Christ, why did she always have to make these things so difficult to do?

"Marco."

You squirmed in your seat and made a noise of discomfort. She tried again, sliding into your booth and leaning her head against her arm once more.

"Marco, c'mon, you can tell me what's wrong, right? We've been friends for years now."

A whine escaped through your lips before you finally gave up and told her everything that happened so far: from the beginning of the resets to Star's strange behavior up until now, although you kept out what you tried to do when you were really getting desperate to find another way out. The whole time she listened to your story without saying anything other than letting out little hums of acknowledgments and her face was kept at an unnerving blank. When you were done, she simply nodded and folded her arms across her chest. The whole time she was in thought, you were anxiously praying that she wouldn't call you some sort of freak.

God, this was such a horrible idea. Why did you go through it with, anyway? You raised up your arm instinctively and already began feeling the tug of time reversing around you when she spoke, and what she said broke the concentration you had.

"Prove it."

". . . Pardon me?"

"Prove it." When she looked at you, her eyes were shining with excitement and she was grinning from ear to ear. For a moment, you found that you couldn't even speak. Then a small, breathless laugh escaped your mouth as you stared at her with half-opened eyes. You forgot how much of a fanatic she is when it comes to these topics. "Alright, what do you want me to do?"

Eager to see what you said was true, she dug into her pocket and retrieved several objects and laid them out on the table for you to see. She asked if you could list the name of the objects she'd showed and you tilted your head in confusion but complied with the request. Studying them for a few minutes, you nodded in confidence before raising your hand and concentrated on reversing time.

Everything began moving in reverse around you as the occupants in the diner began retracing their steps before you found a suitable opening and released the pull. A dizzying sensation overcame you for a couple of seconds and you held a hand against your head to steady yourself right when Janna said prove it. Waiting a couple of seconds to get your bearings, you told her all the items she has on her and her eyebrows rose in impress. Then her eyes narrowed as she began shaking her head slowly and leaned against the booth. You tilted your head in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

"I just realized that that's not a very good request since I always carry those shit around. Hold on, lemme give you something harder to do."

You let out a groan as she studied her surroundings, a slow smirk forming on her face. You followed her gaze curiously. The jukebox that was playing a relaxing song softly in the background suddenly began malfunctioning as a worker sighed heavily and attempted to fix it. Meanwhile, one of the occupants began flirting with your aunt (Ew) as a police car sped past the diner at a dangerous speed. Janna clapped her hands once and grinned wickedly. "Alright, I know what you can do. Tell me everything that happened just now." You blinked in confusion before slowly nodding in understanding. "Yeah...yeah, I can do that. Be right back."

Janna nodded, and before you realize you were back to her telling you to prove that you have time powers. You found yourself grinning madly as you began retelling the scene of events.

"The jukebox's gonna stop working in the middle of a song and that guy over there will try to fix it. While that's happening, that guy over there's trying to flirt with my aunt, which is fucking gross. Finally, a cop car gonna speed past here and looks like it had the devil on its trail."

Janna copied your grin as she eagerly awaited what you said to become true as you leaned heavily against your seat. True to your words, everything happened exactly as planned and the teen let out a squeal of excitement as she began bouncing in her seat. "Holy shit dude, you _do_ have time powers! How frickin' cool is that?!......Marco?"

Waving a dismissive hand, you brushed some hair away from your face and smiled warily at her. "I'm fine, Janna. I'm just....not used to using these powers so much." She looked like she was going to say something else but changed her mind at the last second as she let out a hum of understanding and looked ahead. Glad for the temporary silence, you closed your eyes as your breathing start slowing down, and you were almost asleep when she asked, "How long?"

You blinked and asked her to elaborate on the question, and she sighed heavily before repeating her question. "How long were you aware of the different timelines? You told me that you knew from the beginning, but you didn't give me a number as to how long you were affected by it." Your face darkens as you played with the fork.

"....Far too long for my comfort. Everything begins losing meaning and you find out that the things you find repetitive and dull suddenly become far more interesting when you're stuck doing the same fucking thing for almost a month and a half." Her eyes widen in shock and she opened her mouth to speak when your phone started to ring, startling the both of you. Grabbing it from her hand, you placed the device against your ear and said, "Hello?"

The only thing you head was rain.

 

_[You- 11:47 AM]_

_Have you ever wondered what it was like to...stop existing?_

_[You- 11:47 AM]_

_Like, if everything in the world remained the same, except you weren't there._

_[You- 11:48 AM]_

_Would everything remain the same?_

_[You- 11:50 AM]_

_I should probably stop thinking about this. It won't matter anyways if the world resets, would it? I should really stop caring now._

_[You- 11:52 AM]_

_Everything's pointless anyway._

 

You drummed your fingers anxiously against the table as you tried to concentrate on the book you're reading before finally giving up with a loud groan. Your eyes were beginning to burn and you felt the unwanted presence of hunger clawing at your stomach as you ran a hand through your now unbraided hair that was in no doubt in tangles. Classes had ended ten minutes ago and you were stuck at the library for God's know how long trying to find a solution to the mess you've somehow found yourself in.

Reaching into your bag and pulling out a rubber band, you quickly tied your shoulder-length hair into a loose ponytail and sighed in annoyance when a large portion of it flopped over your left eye, but you did nothing to get rid of it.

"God dammit...."

You felt the familiar call of sleep and you welcomed it wholeheartedly when someone called out your name and you groaned louder. Tom sat on the other side of the table and you glared at him with one eye tiredly. "What do you want." You spat, and he blinked at how snappy you are before talking.

"Look, man, I just want to start off by saying.... I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I overreacted, and I hope that you won't think of me as an even bigger dick than how I already am."

Any rude remarks you had died in your throat at the apology as you stared at him in a daze. Alright, now you _know_ you must be dreaming, and you almost pinched yourself before stopping yourself midway. Shaking your head to get rid of the sleep, you stammered that it was all right and that he was only concern for Star's safety. "By the way, how did you know I was here?" He shrugged and responded that it was a lucky guess, and you tilted your head but didn't question it anymore.

A yawn escaped your mouth before you could stop yourself and you took off your glasses to rub your eyes before placing them on the table. Tom regarded you with concern as he stood up and went to where you're sitting. "Dude, are you okay? You look like the walking dead and it's barely noon." You grumbled something incoherent under your breath and buried your face in your turtleneck sweater.

 Unconsciously, you leaned your head against Tom's shoulder and felt his body tensed as you closed your eyes. Your body was begging for sleep and you finally gave the request as your breathing slows.

"....What the hell are you doing?"

"Sleeping. Now shut up and don't move."

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter, anyways."

Tom stayed quiet after that and you felt him shift from where you are before staying still. You had no idea how much time passed since you were out cold in only a couple of minutes, but you had a feeling that you were asleep far longer than you had expected because of high the sun was. It took you several moments to realize that you had somehow managed to find yourself laying against Tom's chest with his arm wrapped around your waist, soft snores escaping his lips as he breathes deeply. As much as yu wanted to break away from him, you found that he was actually quite softer than you had expected, and a small part of you cursed at yourself for thinking that way.

Twisting your neck to get a better view on his face, you were surprised to see how relaxed it was and the almost invisible smile that was on his face as strands of hair fell over his eyes. For some reason, you felt your face heat up at the sight and quickly turned your head down so you wouldn't have to look at him anymore as you bit your bottom lip nervously. Letting out a sigh, you glanced at the somewhat empty library and frowned in thought.

Everything about this was wrong- he should be finding out what happened to Star and to find a way on how to save the town from what might as well be a hurricane, but you still felt exhausted and did the next best thing.

You pressed your body closer against Tom's, made yourself comfortable on the uncomfortable bench, and fell back into sleep.


	7. Tom: Habits of my Heart

_"HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE! I MUST HAVE CALLED A THOUSAND TIIIIIIII-"_

_"WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY?!"_

You pressed the pillow harder against your ears and prayed for the hundredth time that God may strike you down in all his holiness to end your suffering. 

Sadly, he isn't answering any of your calls.

While living in a dorm _does_ has its perks ( *cough* sex *cough* ), it also has its disadvantages as well. Today just adds to the ever-growing list. Flopping backward on your bed, you grabbed your phone before it fell and unlocked it to see if you had any new messages. Britney sent you another twenty texts or so about her day along with even more pictures following behind, and as much as you would _love_ to talk to her, you didn't want to get an even bigger headache so early in the morning, so you did the next best thing: You fished out your earbuds, selected a playlist, and hit play.

The world faded away into as a soothing jazz hit your ears, and you sighed in relief and closed your eyes. But no matter how hard you tried to push away those thoughts, they always keep coming back to the phone call you had with Marco. Something about it left you with more questions than answers. Heaving out another sigh, you buried your face in your pillow and opened your eyes half-way, a frown playing at the edges of your mouth.

Maybe what he said was right- maybe Star _was_ hanging out with her friends and just forget to tell him about it. It seems like something she would do since, _hello_ , she's Star fucking Butterfly you're talking about. If that was the case, however, then why wasn't she responding to any of your texts?

_Her phone's probably dead, that's why._

But she could have just charged it at her friend's house, couldn't she?

_They might have misplaced it, that's why she isn't answering. Happens to all of us._

But I saw her friends at school, and none of them know where she is.

_Maybe she just made new friends._

Why should she make new friends if her old friends still like her?

_Maybe she just got tired of you._

 You winced.

This is why you hated being by yourself for too long- your thoughts always tend to go wild and they can go into places where you don't really want to go. At least, not while the wounds are still fresh. Your mind suddenly provided you with an excellent idea and, eager to get away from the dorm, you grabbed a random jacket from off the floor along with your keys and practically ran out of the building and to the parking lot.

Ignoring the rows of beat-up trucks and cars, you went to the one motorcycle that was there and started it up, plunging the black helmet on your head and drove out of the school with a yell of excitement. Your dad finally got your cycle fixed and you were ecstatic to try it out instead of riding his truck. The grin on your face somehow managed to grow as you felt the wind whipping at your clothes and the rush that came with riding such a dangerous machine.

You pushed the cycle to its limits.

The highway was devoid of any vehicles as you drove to your little haven at break-neck speed. When you finally arrived, you hastily chained the vehicle where you can easily find it and broke into a run.

It was a beautiful afternoon. Birds were singing; flowers were blooming. Everything felt like it was going your way as you finally made it to the highest point in the junkyard and just....stared. The sky was an endless sea of blue with white clouds dotting along the horizon, and you saw how, from the far left of your view, the trees almost seem to sparkle in the sunlight. A gentle breeze tickled the grass and played with your hair as you breathed in deeply and smiled at the earthly scent that fills your nose.

While other people would feel put-off at staying in a junkyard for even a minute, you found a strange sort of comfort in hiding among all the objects that people would deem useless. Sure, it mostly contained busted-up cars and trucks over the ages, but if you were lucky you were able to find some cool stuff.

One time, you even found this cool necklace that had three little stones linked together, although if memory serves you right, one of the stones was broken now.

Laying down on the grass, you crossed your leg over your knee and tucked your hands underneath your head as you gazed at the sky, slowly feeling yourself relax after the crazy day you've been having.

"It's beautiful, no? I love looking at the sky after a stressful day- helps me find my inspiration when it comes to painting."

You nodded absentmindedly, not paying attention to the blonde sitting besides you when it realization suddenly hit and you almost choked. Whipping your head to the side, you stared at the now empty space and paled. Christ, can't you have one afternoon to yourself without any weird shit happening all the damn time?

"God dammit..."

Getting up to your feet, you dusted off the seat of your pants before grabbing a large, heavy stick and began on your trek. Knocking some random objects with your temporary weapon and whistling a song you heard from Britney, you wandered aimlessly through the junkyard for several minutes before quickly getting bored.

Tossing away the stick with as much force as possible, you were about to head back when something began moving in the bushes a few feet ahead of you, and curious, you lingered. You expected it to be something small, like a rabbit or maybe a fox, but you never thought that it would be a deer of all things. Clamping your mouth shut, you approached the creature cautiously, pausing every once in a while so that you won't startle it away. When you were a few feet away from it, you slowly extended your hand and held it up to its face; the deer tilted its head to the side before sniffing your hand, and you smiled softly as you ran your finger through its fur.

"Hello there, little buddy... Where's your mama?"

The deer stared at you with shiny black eyes and blinked once before running away, and you watched it go with a fond smile, although that didn't stop a chill from running down your back as you blinked. Odd... it's not even that cold. Shrugging it off as nothing more than a phrase, you turned around and started walking back to your motorcycle as you began whistling once more.

 

"One, two, three- c'mon, Heather, at least _try_ to put some effort into this!"

"I'm not trying at all! Do I really have to do this?"

"Yes! Now, let's take it from the top!"

Heather groaned heavily as Britney started the music from the beginning, and you watched in mild interest as the cheerleaders began their routine. An hour have already passed since you were watching her practice with the other girls since he was the head cheerleader for the school, and you can almost feel the exhaustion creeping into your bones as you  watched them spun for the hundredth time that morning. Spluttering when her hair whipped one of the girl's face and pressed a hand against your mouth to contain the laughter that threaten to burst as you shook your head fondly and went back to texting one of your friends.

It was almost natural for you to attend Brittney when it comes to practices or any other little activities that she planned, and today was no expectation. Sitting upright for a moment to adjust the bag you were laying on, you rest your head against the material and propped your leg against the other as you sighed heavily through your nose. You were dead tired and you were honestly amazed that you were able to get through the morning without passing out. Sleep decided to go against you that night as you were plagued with nightmares surrounding the storm, and at one point you woke up in a cold sweat and began crying into the sheets.

Finally, Brittney decided to call it a day, and they all but collapsed to the floor as you and the teammates let out a collective sigh of relief.

"God, that felt like  _torture_!"

She rolled her eyes and walked over to where you were and sat next to you as she played with your hair while you inched closer to her until your head was resting on her lap; the others filing out of the room and chattering among each other until it was only the two of you left. A song you recognized started playing as you closed your eyes and let your body relax, and you can hear Britney texting someone on her phone. You felt a sharp pang in your heart when you remember the many sleepless nights spent talking with Star back when you were together, and you instantly shook those thoughts away from your head when your phone buzzed in your pocket. Sitting upright and pulling back your hair away from your face, you placed the phone against your ear and felt your blood run cold.

The only thing you heard was rain.

 

You had no idea why you decided to go to the library of all places, yet here you are. Leaning against the door frame and checking your phone for any new messages, you sighed through your nose and was about to go back to your room when you saw someone familiar inside and peeked in.

Marco balanced the encyclopedia-like books in his hands as he walked to the table near the window, huffing in annoyance when his hair kept getting in the way and placing the books with a bang, startling even himself. He jumped in surprise before letting out a low groan and bringing a hand down his face. The teen looked like he hadn't slept in a week given the number of times he nodded off in the last minute since you began watching him.

You raised a brow in confusion and intrigued as he muttered something under his breath. Realizing that you looked like a total creep just peering into the library, you looked around for no particular reason before stepping into the room softly; choosing a table where Marco was unable to see you, you picked out a random book and pretended to read it, when in reality you were still observing him (God, you sound like some sort of 80's mad scientist).

For several minutes, he's neck-deep in the book, and you were actually going to leave him be when he suddenly groans in annoyance and frustration before running a hand through his soft hair. He reached into his bag and took out a clip before tying his hair, letting out a huff when a large portion fell over his eye but otherwise leaving it be. He was too far away for you to make out what he was saying, but he looked like he was on death's door and you had no idea why but you suddenly got up and made your way over to him. You called out his name and he jerked awake before glaring at you with so much venom that you actually froze in your tracks and forgot what you were going to say.

"What do you want."

In any other situation, you would have knocked him out for how he was talking to you, but right now you couldn't give two shits about what he did. "Look man, I just wanted to start off by saying... I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I overacted, and I hope that you won't think of me as an even bigger dick than how I already am."

You had no idea what you were apologizing for or why you even said that in the first place since your sleep-deprived brain could barely think of a coherent statement. What you _do_ know was that you caught Marco off-guard. The brunet blinked before letting out a cough and turning his head to the side to avoid your gaze. He muttered something under his before shaking his head. "I-it's alright. You were only worried for Star's safety...Lord knows I am. By the way," he gave you a confused look and pointed a finger in your direction, "how did you know I was here?"

You answered him with a lucky guess, and though he looked like he wanted to say more but stay quiet. He yawned and took off his glasses to rub his bloodshot eyes, and you looked at him in concern. God, when was the last time this kid slept...? "Dude, are you okay? You look like the walking dead and it's barely noon." Marco grumbled something under his breath again and you found yourself taking a seat besides him. When he leaned his head against your shoulder, however, you felt your body tensed and felt a mixture of shock and fear bubbled inside you.

"...What the hell are you doing?"

"Sleeping. Now shut up and don't move."

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter, anyways."

After that, you said nothing more, although you did shifted a bit to get into a more comfortable position as you accepted defeat. You felt his breathing slowed while you stayed awake for several uncomfortable minutes before your body finally began to relax. Something vibrated in your pocket and you took your phone out to see that Brittney sent you a message. Reading it without much thought and sending her a quick response, you leaned your head against Marco's and drifted off into sleep.

 

You woke up with a crick in your neck after what looked like an hour and you whined uncomfortably and rubbed the sore spot, regretting your decision to sleep like that as you waited for your vision to clear. You were still situated in the library (No surprise there) and realized that Marco was resting against your chest with his arms wrapped tightly around your waist; you merely blinked at your current situation before rolling your eyes and carefully tugged at his arms so that he wouldn't wake up. When you were free, the brunet simply leaned against the bench like a doll, which you found cute in an odd way.

Debating on whether or not you should leave him there, you decided against the latter and picked him up bridal style, noticing how light he actually was and you made a mental note to see if he's been eating right. Somehow managing to get his glasses and his schoolbag without dropping the teen, you left the library and began your walk to the dorms.

If memory serves, he should live somewhere on the second floor...

Ignoring the weird looks that was sent your way, your destination was met without any incidents, which you were honestly grateful for. When you finally made it to the dorm and one really awkward trip up the stairs later (The elevator was reserved only for those with disabilities or those who wants to play hooky and suck each other's faces all day, and you did not want to walk into someone doing _that_ ), you now stood in front of Marco's door and wondered how in the ever-loving hell you were going to open the door without potentially dropping him like a sack of potatoes. 

Much to your great relief, the door was unlocked and you thanked and chastised Marco internally before stepping in, closing the door with your foot as it locked with an audible click.

It looked like you literally walked into hell.

Clothes were strewn about carelessly while books were scattered every which way, forcing you to dance around them in fear of falling. Finally arriving to his bed- which was the only clean thing in this mess- you all but dumped him onto it and he barely responded to it. Allowing yourself to collapsed on Star's bed, you let out a huff and ran a hand through your hair before letting it fall between your legs. You found yourself looking at Marco closely, guilt worming it's ugly head into your stomach although you had no idea why, and you finally caved in and reached into your pocket for your phone before speed-dialing a fast-food restaurant and ordered something that he  _might_ like, although you don't have a clue on what Marco actually likes and dislikes.

"Yeah, yeah, just put it on my tab. I'll pay for it later, Janey. Give it to Marco Diaz, though, he lives in room 208. Yeah, same place as always. Thanks."

You ended the call and placed the phone away before standing up and stretching, your bones popping in protest from being locked in the same position for so long and cracked your neck just for the hell of it. Before leaving, though, you gave Marco one final glance before rolling your eyes and planted a soft kiss on his temple.

Life sure is strange, sometimes.


	8. Marco: Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just sleep. Just dream.
> 
> TW for cutting.

"Delivery for Mr. Marco Diaz!"

You woke up with a start and fell ungracefully to the floor, landing in a tangled heap of sheets and limbs. Shit, how long were you out? Quickly picking yourself off the dirty floor (Christ, when was the last time you cleaned up this place...?), you gave a quick glance at the mirror and deemed yourself presentable to whomever is outside your door.

"Yes?"

A lady you've never met with orange-red hair that was tied off in a side ponytail gave you a grin that seemed far too energetic for your liking and held up a carry-out bag with something that honestly smells delicious.

"Are you Marco Diaz?"

"Um, yeah."

"Here's your food!"

As much as you were a fan of free food, this was just absurd. You shook your head and told her that you didn't ordered any food, but she told you that it was already covered for. Uncertain and confused at the same time, you took the food hesitantly and mumbled a quiet thank-you before closing the door. What just happened...?

Walking over to your computer table and clearing off the junk, you set the food down and opened the container. The biggest burger you have ever laid eyes on stared back at you with a ridiculous amount of fries in that came with it; you immediately recognized that it came from the same Asian restaurant that was several blocks away from town. Sending a quick prayer to the kind soul that did this, you dug into the meal and practically inhaled it. Your stomach now calmed, you sat down on Star's bed and stared at the empty container in thought. 

You have absolutely no idea how you're in your room or who sent you the package, but you ought to give them your thanks should the moment arises. Maybe take them out to lunch to; just to repay the favor. You felt a smile creep along your face as you touched your cheek fondly.

 

"Marco!"

You jumped in surprise before letting out a whine when the bird you were trying to photograph flew away. Turning your head to the side and standing up, you blinked when you saw Ludo walking towards you with a more than pissed off expression on his pale face, his body practically drowning in the too-large sweater that covered him.

When he was only a few feet away from you, he punched you on the chest (It felt like a marshmallow) and placed his hands on his hips; you found yourself torn between amusement and confusion. "Everything's alright, Ludo?" "No! Everything's _not_ alright!" He stomped his foot angrily and you bite back a laugh. Slinging an arm around his shoulders and leading him away from the patch of flowers and towards a cute bench near some hedges. Asking him if what's wrong, he launched into a spiral that took you from surprise.

"What's _wrong_ is that I haven't been able to do _anything_ without Star because she's gone and now I can't play with her or go to Mewni which fucking _sucks_ and my friends stopped talking to me and I don't know why but they're probably doing God knows what without me to lead them and everything is absolutely horrible and-"

You held out your hands and told him to stop. Ludo let out a huff at being interrupted but didn't say anything else as you try to digest what he just said. "Look, man, maybe Star's still hanging out with her friends  or something, but that doesn't mean that it's the end of the world. Try making some new friends or go see a movie-" He shook his head violently and pounded his legs with his fists. "No no no! I want Star to come back!"

God, he acts like a bloody three year old. Resisting the urge to roll your eyes at him, you try saying something to calm him down, but before you could even open your mouth, Ludo stood up and stormed away from you in a frustrated mess. Inhaling deeply and holding your breath for several moments, you released it heavily and ran a hand through your hair.

You lingered there for a few more minutes in hopes that the teen would come back before realizing that that wouldn't be the case and stood up, making a quick decision to go to take a quick shower when someone called out your name.

Biting down the groan, you turned to the voice and saw Pony-Head running towards you, her arms opened wide as she tackled you into a hug. Caught off guard, you pressed a hand against the bench for support as she squeal loudly in your ears, causing you to wince. "Oooooh, it's been for _ever_ since we hung out, turd! How's your g-friend doing?"

For a brief moment, you felt confused before remembering that Pony-Head was out of town for most of the semester and didn't know about Star or the storm (No one knows about the storm, except maybe Ludo???). Something pinched your throat as you swallowed dryly, debating whether to ignore the question or avoid her all together. In the end, you told her that you weren't seeing each other anymore, and Pony-Head made a noise between sympathy and almost confirmation. She took your arm in hers as she leaned her head against your shoulder. "Oh, honey, I know _just_ the thing to fix a broken heart."

"Time?"

" _Fun_ , you dolt! Now c'mon, I know this joint where we can party all night and get drunk and-"

"Pony, I have a test tomorrow...."

"Fuck the test!"

You sighed and allowed yourself to go with Pony. At least Janna wasn't here, or else you'll never hear the end of it.

 

In the end, you went to a newly-opened club that was packed with eager teens and adults looking to have a good time, and in a flash Pony disappeared from your side. You really shouldn't be that surprised, to be honestly... Making your way through the moving crowd, you found yourself standing in front of the bartender as you sat down in the crowded booth. He regarded you lazily and you asked for some water; he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Newbie." under his breath but otherwise complied to the request. While you waited for your drink, you surveyed the crowd and blinked against the harsh neon lights that danced in your vision.

"Here's your drink, sir."

You thanked him and took a sip from the cold beverage, letting out a heavy sigh through your nose as you leaned against the counter and tried coming up with solutions to Star's disappearance. Maybe she had some sort of connection to the upcoming storm... that would explain her strange behavior before. Was she able to control time as well? Maybe she trying to find a way to stop the storm from hitting Echo Creek. If that was the case, then why wasn't she here with you? Was that the reason why everything kept resetting? Because she couldn't find the solution to the problem? The thought.... honestly scares you. If she wasn't able to find the answer, then how are you going to find it?

Someone sat next to you and you saw from the corner of your eye the seductive look she gave you.

"Hey."

"Hey..."

She inched closer to you as you played with your drink, still deep in thought. "Do you wanna dance?"

You were about to decline the offer when you stopped. Even if Pony's advice were a little... illegal at times, her heart was in the right place, and you might as well humor her. Plus, you were starting to get a headache. Taking her hand and giving her a  flirty smile return, you walked to the dance floor as a song you recognized starting playing as you started to move to the beat. You were almost certain that you heard Pony-Head squeal in excitement somewhere in the distance as she started grinding against you, and you started to become uncomfortable.

Taking her hand and spinning her, she let out a squeak in surprise before laughing as you started some weird version of the tango. Several songs later, you finally decided to call it quits as you went to an empty table, your face flushed from the dancing and your heart beating hard against your chest. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" You nodded, too tired to come up with a good response as you leaned heavily against her. She wrapped an arm around your shoulder and you closed your eyes.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Marco. Yours?"

"Jackie."

You felt your blood turn cold. Sitting upright abruptly, you almost pushed her away as you breathing picked up. This- this has to be some sort of joke, right? There's no way that- You shook your head as you hugged yourself tightly. Jackie looked at you in shock and concern as she tried calming you down, but to no avail. You felt like you were going to pass out. "Marco, breathe!" Something in the back of your mind told you to listen to her, and you struggled to take in enough air. Slowly, you began calming down, and you found yourself resting your head against her shoulder once more as you apologized weakly.

She let out a shaky laugh. "It's okay, just don't do that again. You almost gave me a heart attack just now."

Your brain hurts. Tilting your head to look at her, her emerald-green eyes shined in the dark and reminded you of how Jackie's look whenever she was doing something she loves. Despite not drinking any alcohol, you felt surprisingly drunk. It took you a full second to realize that you were kissing her, and she pressed herself harder as a breathy moan escaped her mouth.

Realization struck you like lightening and you pushed her away as you breathed heavily, your eyes wide and your heart pounding hard once more. "Shit shit shit I'm sorry I didn't mean to kiss you I just-" She placed a finger against your lips and shushed you softly. "Stay..." She sang softly, and before you knew it she'd placed her lips against yours as you leaned into her. When you parted, she kissed your cheek and rested her head against your chest as you held her close.

No amount of resetting could undo what you done.

 

An hour passed since you'd returned to your dorm, and since then you realized that you haven't left your bed at all. You hugged one of Star's toys hard as you replayed the kiss over and over in your mind. You could have rewound time the minute it happened. You could have ignored her. You could have leave early. You could have.... you could have....

"How could I do this...?"

You gazed into the stuff unicorn eyes in hopes of finding an answer, but the toy remained silent. It was almost impossible to ignore her. She just looked so... _helpless_ in the situation, and you blamed yourself because of it. There was something about her that just made you crazy, and it dawned on you that the more you wanted to stay away from her, the more you wanted to be with her. Burying your face in the toy, you almost didn't hear your phone going off over your despair as you let out a loud groan.

Unlocking it, you shifted under the blanket and read the text.

_[Tom- 3:47 PM]_

_hey. do you wanna meet up at the junkyard?_

You raised a brow and re-read the message to make sure you were seeing correctly. Why does Tom of all person want to see _you?_ Sending a quick response and asking at what time, you waited for the message to come in. In a way, it was almost a relief that he wanted to see you- It can give you some time to figure out what to do about her.

As you scrolled through your contacts, your thumb paused over her name as you swallowed hard.

_[You- 3: 50 PM]_

_Hey_

_[Jackie- 3: 50 PM]_

_Hey_

 

"Hey asshole, I'm over here!"

Looking up from your phone and rolling your eyes, you tucked it away and walked over to where Tom was. "What do you want?" Instead of giving a response, he snapped his finger and motioned for you to follow him, which you did reluctantly. The walk to wherever the hell he was taking you was short and filled with silence, and you ignore your phone vibrating in your pocket as you looked around.

This was the first time you've ever really been to the junkyard despite Pony's and Star's multiple attempts to bring you here. Abandon vehicles and the occasional washing machine was thrown about haphazardly, and you found yourself side-stepping broken glass that was sprinkled on the ground. Several times you saw broken toys or dolls that color had long since faded and lost a limb or two and honestly made you feel a bit sad for them. "So... where are we going?"

"Somewhere. Now hush."

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes again and took out your phone, figuring that he didn't want to be bothered and checking on Jackie.

_[Jackie-  4:13 PM]_

_dude, u there or what? i'm hella bored and the only cure is talking to you_

_[Jackie- 4:14 PM]_

_pls man i'm dying here don't leave me here_

_[You- 4:15 PM]_

_Oh my god you act like a goddamn child. How old are you?_

_[Jackie- 4: 16 PM]_

_6\. now give me my milk and cookies._

_[You- 4:18 PM]_

_No, get your own._

"Alright, we're here."

You jumped in surprise before quickly sending Jackie a quick text and shoving your phone back in your pocket. Tom stood in front of an old shack that looked like it was going to fall apart any second, patches of cloth covering the holes and a faded pride flag waving in the wind. Graffiti decorated the inside of the shack that was either made out of song lyrics or quotes from movies and memes. A beat-up couch was somehow squeezed into the tiny building that was covered in stains and had the stuffings pouring out and littering the floor. Beer bottles and cigarette buds were strewn about, and you kicked one curiously.

"What are we... _doing_ here, exactly?"

Tom heaved out a sigh and sat heavily on the couch. He didn't say anything for several moments, and you honestly thought that he was either ignoring you or didn't heard the question. "You know, for the longest time I thought that you and Star was dating." Your eyes widen in shock and you were about to protest against the idea when he continued. "You two were inseparable. I was always trying to find a way how to get her back. But now..." He turned to face you with wet eyes. "She isn't coming back, is she?"

A sudden sense of dread washed over you. Running your hand through your hair and letting out a shaky laugh, you sat down next to Tom and stared into nothing. Did he know about the timelines? What were you going to tell him?

"I..."

No matter how hard you tried to think of a suitable response, nothing came to mind. Tom hummed under his breath in confirmation and looked away from you, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt as he hugged himself tightly. You sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it. For some reason, you always thought that Tom was this sort of god- but now, seeing him like this, it honestly hurts. You tried talking again.

"I... I'm sorry, Tom. I really am."

He glanced in your direction, and you thought that he was going to yell at you. Instead, he only blinked before he returned to watching the paint-splattered wall with an almost inaudible sigh. Suddenly feeling conflicted, you quickly searched for something that might cheer him up when you saw something sticking out from a pile of junk. You were surprised to find a loaded gun, and you flinched away from it before steeling your nerves and grabbing it. "Hey, Tom!"

The teen regarded you with mild annoyance at first before it morphed into shock when he saw the gun held between your fingers. "Marco, what- how-" He seemed at a lost for words, and you felt a sudden wave of confidence as you held it tightly in your hands.

"Do you wanna test this baby out?"

 

"You ready?"

You stood a safe distance away from Tom as he readied the gun, aiming at the seven beer bottles you'd lined up for him. He sent you a thumbs-up before firing. The bullet hit its mark perfectly, and you covered your ears in instinct before clapping. A grin stretched across his face as he took another shot, once again hitting the target. The grin turned into a cocky smirk as he shouted, "Hey, Marco, think I could do this with my eyes closed?"

You shrugged. Tom accepted the challenge as he closed his eyes before firing.

The bottle broke into a million pieces, and you laughed in disbelief. "You had your eyes opened!" "I didn't! That just shows how badass I am!" Rolling your eyes in amusement, you watched as Tom started rambling about a trick shot he was going to do. It was weird to admit this, but Tom wasn't the worst person to hang out with, when he's in a good mood that is.

"Ah, shit-!"

You watched as Tom fell to the ground in pain, and your arm rose on instinct as you rewound time. Shit, shit, _shit!_ This was such a horrible idea in the first place, why the fuck did you even went with it? Everything moved in reversed when your vision was suddenly split in two. The pull you had loosen in shock as Star and Janna suddenly appeared in front of you, the latter soaked in water as they ran frantically, almost like they were being chased.

The blonde opened her mouth but no words came out as she fell to her knees and began digging at the ground. Janna joined in, and in no time a hole was formed. Star let out a silent scream as she clung to her friend for support, and you realized with a sickening lurch that it was only a few feet from where you and Tom are.

Everything returned to focus, and you found yourself horribly dizzy as you staggered to catch your footing. Tom stopped talking mid-way to see if you were alright but you pushed him away and managed to make your way to the area where Star and Janna were. Your heart pounding against your chest, you began digging at the dirt as Tom dropped the gun and ran to where you are. You have no idea if he said anything to you or not, but all you remember was seeing him kneel besides you as he tore through the earth at the same panicked sense that you were in.

The smell was the first thing you noticed.

It was strong and hit you at full force, forcing you to stop and resist the overpowering urge to vomit as you gagged loudly. Pressing the front of your shirt against your nose, you heard Tom gasp as you stared at the now opened hole. In your mind, you heard an almost inhuman scream broke through the once still air, and you dimly realized that you were the one that was screaming.

Griping your hair so tightly that it felt like it was going to fall out, you squeezed your eyes shut to block off the horrible image of the girl buried in the earth but to no avail. Her face was burned into your mind and you felt like you were going to pass out.

"Why her? Why her?! _What kind of sick freak would do this to her?!_ "

Tom held you tight against his chest as you cried your eyes out, hiccups breaking the incoherent mess you were babbling. This had to be a dream, right? Some sort of fucked up nightmare that you're experiencing because Star somehow managed to convince you to watch another horror movie, _right?_ Jackie wasn't dead, she can't be dead, she's out in Atlanta living her dream, becoming something big in life! She isn't here in the junkyard with her face already decaying and her hair choppy and covered in blood and oh god-

Pushing Tom away quickly, you clutched your stomach as the contents from this morning came out until there was nothing left and you're dry-heaving because god why does she have to be dead? The red head patted your back as he muttered soothing words in hopes of calming you down.

How long did you stayed like that? Hours? Minutes? You have no idea.

Everything felt numb, and it was like your body went on auto-pilot. Tom helped you to your feet and led you to his motorcycle, which you didn't even noticed when you first got here. You didn't remembered sitting behind him as he rode you to your house, you arms wrapped loosely around his frame and your face heating up in the helmet he gave you before the ride. You didn't remember Tom parking in front of your house and guiding you to the front door. You didn't remember him ringing the doorbell and your mother answering almost immediately and the greeting dying in her throat as she let out a gasp when she saw your zombie-like state. You didn't remember your dad carrying you to your room with Tom trailing behind you like a lost puppy. You didn't remember being tucked into bed and Tom holding your hand tightly as he whispered, "I'm sorry." before exiting the room.

You do remembered wanting to die.

 

The habit started somewhere between the second and third reset.

You wanted some sort of validation that you were still you, dangling on the thread between what was real and what was fake. The pain that rushed through your body with each new tattoo that decorated your arms served as a reminder. For some reason, though, it always seem to follow you throughout the new reset. It was bad, yes, but it was also addicting.

It was like taking drugs for the first time, or finally kissing your crush since middle-school. You were terrified to do it, like one wrong move or ultimately destroy your life, but at the same time, the rush was exhilarating. When you finally do it, you feel like you finally completed that one level on Super Mario or finally getting to third base. By the time the feeling dies, however, you find yourself craving more and more and more until your nothing left but an empty shell of what you once were.

That was what you felt as you laid there in bed, the sheets pulled over your head and your body curled in on itself like a bug. Your arms burned with the sensation that seemed so foreign yet so familiar at the same time, and you find yourself scratching along your wrist like crazy until thin droplets of blood started leaking from the broken skin. Was this what insanity feels like? 

Sweat trickled from your skin as you breathed heavily, and you felt like you were suffocating but at the same time you wanted to wrap the blanket tighter around your body until you can't tell which is human and which is fabric.

The more you tried ignoring the call, the more your body yearned for it, and you felt like you were being torn in two. Jackie's face keep appearing whenever you close your eyes and you felt your skin crawl as you bit your bottom lip until you tasted copper.

"Ah..." It was almost impossible to form words with how messed up your throat was, and you started scratching at it before realizing that the only thing you would do is mess up your voice even more. Your mother called you from downstairs but you ignored her.

_Just do it._

_It will be so easy._

_You know you want to do it._

_Why are you ignoring me?_

_Don't you miss me?_

You let out a hiss when the blade cut through your skin, and you watch in morbid fascination as the blood seeped through the new wound and slid down your waist before finally landing on the floor, and you watch as the puddle only continued to grow. Just when you thought that you'd cried out all the tears, you felt your face becoming wet as you gritted your teeth to keep from crying out.

_I knew you couldn't resist me._


	9. Tom: Electricity

Your heart hurts.

You have no idea why you decided to help Marco out or, more importantly, why you decided to kiss him. Maybe it was because of how ill he looked. Maybe it was because of how light his body felt when you lifted him up when you clearly know that he should be a lot heavier for his age. Maybe it was because of how much he reminded you of Star when she was still there, how many sleepless nights she spent over a night terror or painting until she was drenched in reds and blues and greens and her hands trembling with exhaustion but she still continues to paint because it was her lifeline, it was the only thing that kept her grounded.

Grabbing a handful of hair and tugging on it until it hurts, you glared at the pile of scribbles that was your work and sighed in annoyance. Reaching into your bag and taking our your phone, you powered it on and immediately went to your messages as you were about to send Star a text when you paused.

All of the messages she'd sent you over the resets was gone. It was like she never even existed.

A lump formed in your throat as you breathing quicken. In a fit of rage you whipped your phone to your bed as you let out a shout. It hit the wall and you heard in dismay the crack before rushing over to it to see if it was okay. You released a sigh of relief when it powered on, and after checking to see if it was okay- some of the apps wouldn't respond and you couldn't entered some letters when you tried to type- you gingerly returned it to your bag and sat heavily on your bed.

It slowly dawned on you that Star wasn't coming back- she was gone forever. You pushed that thought away before it reared its ugly head at you and grabbed your wallet and keys. You needed a drink; you needed a ride; you needed-

You bit your lip and stormed out of the suffocating room.

 

Drowning down the fourth glass and still not feeling drunk enough, you motioned for another round as the boy besides you watches sympathetically.

"Rough day?"

"You have no fucking clue."

He hummed in understanding and asked what's wrong. For some reason- it was probably the alcohol- you wanted to tell him all what happened to you, but instead you settled on, "Girl problems." He nodded in understanding and began talking.

"Dude, _everything's_ girl problems! You don't spend too much time with them, they tell you that you're ignoring them. When you spend time with you, they tell you that you're too clingy. You have to get them presents every-fucking-day or else they'll feel unappreciated and you also have to compliment them on their hair or outfits or else it'll hurt their feelings. My girl, Amy, is cute as a doll but she's 'Daddy little princess', which means that I have to take her out to these expensive restaurants every goddamn week and I have to act _civilized_ around her daddy else he'll stop me from datin' her. Like, what the hell man?! I get that she's your daughter and you have to protect her from potential assholes, but you can't control her every second of the goddamn day!"

"Does he?" You have no idea why you asked him that- hell, you don't even know this fucker's name! But there was something about him that was comforting. In a weird way, it was like you can be 'off'; maybe it was because he clearly have no idea who you are.

"Yes! And it's fucked up! Oh and get this-" He leaned closer to you and found yourself leaning in as he lowered his voice. "I see the way how he looks at her when her ma's not around. Dude, it looks like he want to fuck her right on the kitchen table!"

"Christ, really?"

"Yeah! It makes me wonder what the two of them are doing behind closed doors. And apparently, Amy don't see anythin' wrong with the way he looks at her _or_ the way he holds her, because listen dude, whenever she's hugs him I always see his hands wandering south or, in some cases when he's real feisty, north."

"Goddamn. Have you mentioned this to her in private?"

"Multiple times, too! But every time I mentions it she would just blow me off and tell me that it's 'Their little game they have together'. How in the ever-loving fuck does her mother not notice her husband and daughter screwing around behind her back?"

You ran a hand through your hair and whistled low. "Christ, dude, I don't even know what to say about that. Have you told the police?"

The man sighed heavily and played with the edge of his glass, swirling the contents around as he stared at the wall thoughtfully. "Believe me, I tried. But hey, nothing changes when it comes to the justice system."

Taking a slow drink and leaning against your arm, you blinked in sudden realization and said, "Hey, I just realized something. I don't even know your name!"

The stranger let out a short laugh and shook his head in amusement, leaning back against the counter and continued playing with his glass. "Whoops, sorry about that, man. Guess I just got carried away. I'm Jeremy." He extended his hand out and you took with after you introduced yourself with a smile. "So, what's your problem, dude?"

You blinked- you were so caught up in listening to his story that you completely forgotten about your own. You let out a nervous laugh and told him that your problems suddenly seemed small compared to his, and he scoff and replied that no problems are too small to talk about. A smile went across your face as you launched into your story, omitting any of the unnecessary shit- time travel, cough cough- and tried to keep it as coherent as possible. When you were done he whistled and shook his head.

"Man, you're really pinnin' after this gal, aren't you? Well, my advise is to just... just give it some time, y'know? Pretty soon you'll meet some cute person and then you'll be happy again, as sappy as that sound. I don't know, I ain't God."

You took another curious sip from your drink and nodded slowly in understanding. "Yeah... yeah, you're right, man. I just gotta.... give Star a break." Jeremy grinned wide and slapped you on the back playfully and drowned down the rest of his drink before standing up. "Hey, I was gonna go out after I was done. You wanna come with?" You shrugged and emptied your cup, paying for his drink as well as yours despite the protest and walking out of the stuffy bar.

When he saw your bike his eyes grew wide with awe and he eagerly asks to take the wheel, which you responded, "Knock yourself out. The helmet's underneath the seat."

"Is this the latest model?!"

"No, I just take really good care with my stuff. Have you even ride a cycle before?"

"Nope!"

Turns out that despite the lack of training, Jeremy can handle the bike with ease, and you held onto him tightly as the world whipped past you in a blur. You felt giddy from the alcohol and whopped and hollered in excitement as Jeremy laughed and did the same, and you have honestly no goddamn idea where you're heading but it just feels nice to be able to do dumb shit without worrying about the consequences again. In no time you were out of town, and he continued driving at break-neck speed as you sighed and rested your head against his back in content.

"So, Jer, where are we going?"

"To this cute little diner that sell _the best_ pie in the whole fucking world that you _have_ to try. If I don't, then what kind of friend am I?"

You paused and tilted your head to see his face. "You think we're... friends?" He shrugged lazily. "Well, yeah. I think you're pretty cool, y'know?" You let out a breathless laugh to yourself and squeezed his torso tighter. The only _real_ friend you have was Star and Britney, and even then the latter consider you to be like a pet. A warm feeling exploded in your stomach, and you gave another laugh as you snuggled closer to him, if that was even possible.

"Guess so..."

 

It was hours later after you dropped off Jeremy at his house when you texted Marco. You honestly have no idea what prompt you to do it, but as you glanced at the message you felt an odd sense of dread pooling in the pit of your stomach.

Getting on your bike once more and strapping the helmet under your chin, you started the engine and drove at a dangerous speed. The closer you got to your destination, the more you felt nervous about your meeting. You pushed the feeling down and carried on before you finally arrived, leaning the bike against the graffiti-covered fence and waited for Marco to show. You dimly wondered if he ever got the food you ordered when you saw the mass of curly brown hair in the distance, the teen not glancing up from his phone in the slightest. You rolled your eyes and called out, "Hey asshole, I'm over here!"

He looked up and scowled but otherwise put the device away. "What do you want?" Rude. Deciding on staying quiet, you motioned for him to follow you, and you didn't need to check if he was coming. Honestly, you have no idea why you decided to contact Marco in the first place, but something have been bothering you for a while and it was driving you insane. After a while, he decided to break the silence and asked where were you taking him, which you gave a dismissive answer and scanned the dump. It shouldn't be that far from..... Aha! 

"Alright, we're here."

The shack stood before you in all it's glory, and you couldn't help but smile as fond memories replayed in your mind. You discovered the building one day when you were high, and ever since then you were drawn to it. Over the years you brought in more stuff to make it feel more like home and use it when you either want some alone time or you just want to get a quick fuck. Your eye caught the faded rainbow flag and you smirked- That was one of Star's idea.

Marco broke your train of thought. "What are we... _doing_ here, exactly?"

Honestly? You don't have a goddamn clue. Instead of saying that, you chose to sigh and flopped on the couch. This was the place where you first met Star, and it also brought the first of many other things that you'll soon regret, some greater than others. First high, first hangover, first kiss, first... You squeezed your eyes and wrapped your arms around your chest. "You know, for the longest time I thought that you and Star was dating." From the corner of your eye you saw Marco opened his mouth in protest before you interrupted him.

"You two were inseparable. I was always trying to find a way how to get her back. But now..." Realization hit you hard and you found it increasingly difficult to fight off the tears. You turned your head to face him and you saw his eyes widen in shock. "S-she isn't coming back, is she?"

Fear spiked in his eyes and he took an unconscious step back, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. It almost looked funny if you weren't about to burst into tears. Marco ran a hand through his tangled hair and looked at you, suddenly looking tired. "I..." He didn't finished the sentence, and that was all you needed to hear. Turning your head away from his view, you bit the bottom of your lip and tasted blood as tears trickled down your face.

Your fingers dug painfully into your skin and you felt like you were going to pass out with how hard you were hugging yourself, but that paled in comparison to how your heart felt. Wiping away a tear with the sleeve of your shirt, you heard Marco shuffled behind you; you could almost see the frown that was on his face when he spoke. "I... I'm sorry, Tom. I really am."

Glancing at him for a brief moment, Marco flinched like you were going to hurt him. Blinking slowly, you studied his face for several moments before turning your attention back to the drawing Star drew a long time ago. You didn't care what he thought of you. You didn't care if the town was going to be destroyed. You just... don't care.

From behind you, Marco let out a distressed noise and started looking around. A large part of you wanted to scream at him, but you didn't moved from your spot on the couch. "Hey, Tom!" God, he didn't leave yet? You regarded him with the intention of yelling at him when the words died in your throat at the sight of the gun in his hands, and you felt your blood turn cold. How in the _hell_ did he find that? You thought you hidden it well after Star confession. "Marco, what- how-" 

Marco gave you an uneasy smile as he waved it around carefully. "Do you wanna test this baby out?"

 

This was such a dumb idea.

Marco sat on top of a car as you held the gun carefully in your hands, aiming at one of the bottles you've lined up before firing. The blast left your ears ringing and you felt your heart beat hard against your chest, but you honestly felt more alive than you have been in a long time. Suddenly feeling cocky, you placed a hand on your hip as you spun the gun on one finger. "Hey, Marco, think I could do this with my eyes closed?" He shrugged, and you took that as a yes.

Taking a deep breath to steady your nerves, you closed your eyes and aimed at where the bottle might be before firing. When you heard the sound of glass shattering, you opened your eyes in disbelief and let out a cry of victory. Marco laughed from where he was and pointed a finger in your direction.

"You had your eyes opened!" "I didn't! That just shows how much of a badass I am!"

He rolled his eyes almost fondly as you started going off about a trick shot you were about to do. Aiming the gun where you might get a better shot of the bottle, you aimed and fired.

The sudden pain that flared in your side caught you off guard as you let out a wheeze, your breathing already becoming labored as you threw the gun down with as much force as you can muster. Bad idea, _bad idea!_ You flinched when the sound of frantic digging caught your attention, and after glancing at the area where you  were shot- There wasn't any blood, thank god- you ran over to where he was.

"Marco? What are you..." You trailed off when you realized that he wasn't even hearing you, and you stared at him for a fleeting moment before getting down on your knees and began tearing at the earth with him. The brunet was muttering under his breath rapidly, and even if you were able to make out what he was saying, it wouldn't make any sense since he was saying it in Spanish. When the ground finally opened up, you let out a gag as a horrid scent filled your nose, and you covered your mouth to keep from vomiting as a loud inhuman scream suddenly cut through the air.

"Why her? Why her?! _What kind of sick freak would do this to her?!_ "

He backed away from the grisly scene and held his head tightly, and you have to tear your eyes away from Jackie's mangled body to crawl over to where he was. Wrapping your arms around his waist and yanking his arms away from his head in fear he might hurt himself, you held him close to your chest and ignored the hot tears that stained your cheeks. Everybody knew Jackie- she was just one of those girls that can become anyone's friend like that. Seeing her here in this state on top of everything was just... it was just too much for you to handle all at once.

You let out a yelp when Marco suddenly shove you aside and started to vomit violently until he was dry-heaving, and he sounded so _broken._ Crawling over to him and patting his back, you muttered soothing words that you know will fall on deaf ears and helped him up to his feet. His eyes were glazed and blank as he followed you almost automatically to the bike. It was like someone had pulled a switch on him- he didn't responded to any of your questions and he barely registered the helmet over his head. He literally looked like the walking dead.

Knowing that he wouldn't reply, you drove to his neighborhood and asked one of the residents where he lived before following the directions. His house looked somewhat similar to yours aside from a few extra things, like the cacti or the little shed you can distinguish from the corner of the home. "Alright, big guy, time to take you home." You hoisted him over your shoulders and winced when the bike crashed to the ground, although you couldn't care less because you just dug up his girlfriend's _corpse_ for Christ sake. Nausea swept over you at the memory and you could almost taste the vomit that threaten to rise but forced it down, making a face in the process.

You knocked once. "Um, hello? Is anybody-"

"Just a moment!"

You debated for a fleeting moment whether you should just leave him on the doorsteps like a baby when Marco's mother opened the door and greeted you with a wide smile that instantly died on her face when she saw her lifeless son slung over your shoulder like a rag doll. She pounced on you in an instant, questions flying out of her mouth at rapid speed. "Oh my God, what happened to him? Honey, come here!" Oh God, why did you have to be the bearer of bad news? Scratching the back of your neck as her husband took Marco from your arms and into his own- You saw his frown turned heavy when he felt how light he was- you tried to explain to the best of your abilities what happened without coming off as insane, and by the end of the explanation they seemed to get the gist of what had transpired over the last hour.

The couple looked pale. "Oh, you poor soul!" His mother pulled you into a tight hug and you had to bend your knees to be able to reach her height while Mr. Diaz took his son to his room. You followed behind like a child and watched as he was laid out on the bed before a blanket was wrapped over his body, Mrs. Diaz kissing him firmly on the head before exiting the room. You stayed behind for several moments just staring at the body underneath the covers before taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. "I'm sorry." It felt hollow like you, and you squeezed it one last time before leaving, closing the door with a soft click so as to not disturb him.

 

You jolted from your restless sleep to the phone blaring obnoxiously loud music, and you grabbed it before you missed the call and glanced at the name before answering. Marco Diaz. What in the hell does he want from you? The question died on your tongue when a girl started talking on the other end. 

"Is this Tom?"

"Yes? Why are you-"

"Don't ask stupid questions. Just come over to my house and pick up your girl- I'll text you the address."

Before you could protest the line went dead, and you stared at your phone in bewilderment. What the actual _fuck_ was that all about? Grabbing a jacket from off the couch and shrugging it on, you read the message that was sent and frowned. This will be fun.

When you stopped in front of the apartment complex, you entered the building hesitantly and looked around. It was like it came right out of those bad sitcoms your dad like to watch, and you almost expected to find a dead body before stopping that train of thought. Climbing the unstable steps with caution and making your way past the debris, you stood in front of a door with the number '201' hanging precariously on it's hinges. You glanced around. This... this was the place, right? You knocked on the door once and took a step back when it swung opened and a woman stood in the doorway.

She glared at you with piercing blue eyes and did a one glance at you before nodding in satisfaction and stepped aside to let you in, not at all put off about the short skirt that exposed her legs or the tight shirt that showed off everything else. Christ, was this not the best time to come? She looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. "Mar's over there, darling. I'm Jackie, by the way."

You stiffen at the name and she nodded in understanding as she took out a cigarette and lighted it, inhaling deeply before blowing the puff of steam away from your general direction. Despite how run down the building outside looked, her room was very well-kept; you could hear a dryer in the other room that was partially drowned out by the upbeat music that was playing in the background, which contradict the mood entirely. She pulled her hair into a loose bun and watched you curiously. 

Marco was wrapped up in what looks like the softest blanket in the world, her eyes downcast and staring in the distance as she held the steaming mug in her hands lifelessly. Tear stains ran down her cheeks and she looked years older than she actually did. When she spoke, her voice was soft yet broken.

"There's a storm coming. We'll all die. And then we'll have to relive it all over again. And again. And again. I want to die, Tom. I don't want to go through this again."

"Go through... what?"

"The resets."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while because of exams, so the next update should happen a lot sooner. Maybe. I don't know.
> 
> Tom doesn't know that Marco can rewind time, btw. He just assumes that time rewind on it's own.
> 
> Also, Marco's genderfluid. Prefer names are:  
> Marco- Male pronouns  
> Marcy- Female pronouns  
> I haven't come up with one when he uses neutral pronouns, so it's probably gonna be his nickname or something.


End file.
